Path of the Jedi
by PathoftheJedi
Summary: In the years following the dissapearance of Jedi Ezra Bridger, the New Republic continues to struggle against the Imperial Remnant. In an attempt to secure the future of the New Republic, Lieutenant Lindmon Crest, at the behest of a mysterious Ambassador, has been selected to lead a rescue operation in the Unknown Regions. (Extensive proofreading in progress, we apologize)
1. Strange beginnings

Two months have passed since the destruction of the second DEATH STAR. With the death of the EMPEROR, the IMPERIAL forces are left without a leader against the united NEW REPUBLIC. Retreating to the furthest reaches of the galaxy to regroup for a counter offensive. Aboard the MC-80 Battlecruiser Blue Diver, ADMIRAL CEST SEV'ESA has received a mission from a mysterious AMBASSADOR that requests to explore the UNKNOWN REGION, a dangerous and uncharted section of the galaxy, in search of a renegade JEDI. He has called upon the newly promoted LIEUTENANT LINDMON CREST to lead the mission…

4 A.B.Y.- MC80 Battlecruiser Blue Diver

Lieutenant Lindmon Crest, former Imperial pilot and freshly promoted Officer of the Republic. Before his defection he was a top TIE Advanced pilot. He always had a knack for flying, strong instincts they called it in the academy. There were times he seemed downright prophetic. During the battle of Scarif he single handedly shot down twelve fighters and saved a Destroyer from a rebel Y-wing detachment. Although Scarif was ultimately lost, his skills were noticed by many higher ups, including General Tarkin who ordered an audience with the pilot soon to be known as the Ace of Scarif. Tarkin put in his own recommendations for Crest to be placed in the Phantom program and from there his career as a stealth pilot began. After the battle of Hoth and the official production of the TIE Phantom he was integrated into the secret program on the planet Dreighton. He flew with Sigma Squadron for the first several months, testing the flight systems and flying missions against local freight traffic. During a test flight operation in which a large battalion of X-wings made contact with the squadron and a dogfight ensued, Crest made the final decision to defect. The rest of his squadron departed the system with heavy losses, and after incapacitating his co-pilot, he followed the X-wings back to a nearby MC-80 battlecruiser, the Blue Diver. He hailed the ship and turned himself over. His Co-pilot died from his wounds after attempting to escape from the brig where the pair were held for a time. Lindmon provided the technicians with the disconnect codes for the Phantom's self destruct system, and after a short time, Admiral Cest Sev'esa agreed to accept his defection and put him to work on the Blue Diver.

Lindmon stepped into the ready room and straightened his uniform shirt, walking towards the large holopad in the center of the room. As he approached, the Bothan that had called for him sat at the head of the table, the blue glow of a holocall quickly vanished from the room as he abruptly ended the conversation. His chestnut colored fur that had been almost completely taken over by gray hairs was bristling with irritation. Bothans carried a not so positive reputation for being short tempered and obstinate, and Admiral Cest Sev'esa was no exception, whatever this briefing was about had clearly gotten him in a bad mood.

Lindmon quickly noticed that there wasn't anyone in the briefing room save for the Admiral. Something like a sparse room normally meant a classified mission but looking around there were no signs of any mission analysts or combat operation technicians that would normally be present for the mission details. That put him on edge. Lindmon was no stranger to secret missions. Hell, being the only TIE/Phantom pilot in the rebellion, his entire position was a secret. The effectiveness of being in possession of a stolen TIE/Phantom came from the enemy not knowing you had one, and the means of acquiring the TibannaX necessary to operate it. Lindmon realized that whatever this mission entailed, the Republic had no guidance for it.

Admiral Sev'esa motioned for Lindmon to come around the table to stand closer to him. "Lieutenant Crest. I've just been on a call with New Republic command." He said with dissatisfaction. "There is a request for you to undertake a mission, that they think is of the utmost importance."

Lindmon stopped next to the table and stood at parade rest to receive orders, old Imperial habits die hard. "I'm ready for anything you have for me, Sir." Lindmon gritted his teeth. While being fully aware of his skills, the anxiety of a fresh mission always put him on edge. Something in the back of his mind told him that this wasn't just your run of the mill stealth op.

The Admiral let out an indignant chuckle, "Let's hope so Lieutenant, I don't know why the Republic is wasting its time with this nonsense. The Imperials are still out there, and they'll exploit any chance they get to regain control." He said waving his hand to the side in exasperation.

He let himself settle for a moment, quietly smoothing the hair on his face before continuing. "I'm placing you in command of this mission, the ambassador that you will be escorting will be here shortly. I've been told this is a lengthy mission that will take you deep into the Unknown Regions, so the secondary objective of this will be to help the Republic secure navigational data in the area as-" the chiming of a comms device on the table cut Sev'esa short, and he quickly turned it off. "The ambassador." He said before continuing, "You're a good pilot Crest, one of the best, personally I'd say you could give Commander Antilles a run for his money. The Republic and I will give you the support we can spare, and I want regular reports on this bantha-stink of an operation."

The door to the briefing room slid open and an older Togruta female stepped in, her long montrals hung past her shoulders ending just above her waist, her skin orange and patterned in an elegant blue and white across her face. Around her shoulders hung a strikingly white cape and simple blue clothes hid beneath. She paused at the door for a moment, taking a long look at Lieutenant Crest. "Admiral Sev'esa, is this the escort I requested?" She asked as she moved to the table, her voice soft and ethereal.

The Admiral did nothing to hide his anger upon her arrival, almost scowling at the woman as she approached. "If this wasn't a request from Mon Mothma I would never have agreed to this! Searching around in the Unknown Region. It's ridiculous! A waste of time!"

The Togruta woman looked at Sev'esa curiously, her eyebrow raised in amusement, "Well, then I'm glad Mon Mothma spoke to you. Or this would have been a short trip for me."

Lindmon bowed his head as the ambassador entered. Staying out of their little exchange to the best of his abilities. As the Togruta stepped forward to the holodesk he turned back to it as well.

"With all due respect Admiral, Ambassador, this seems more like a job for one of our scouts. Perhaps an X-wing detachment or something with longer range scanners. I hardly feel that an experimental fighter is going to be of much use in an escort scenario."

A tingle along the back of his head and neck forced him to raise his hand to it, returning it to his side quickly as he continued.

"The unknown regions are mysterious yes but so far as I recall, no Imperial bases operate out that far, and the only real things out there are storms, black holes, and the Chiss."

Admiral Cest Sev'esa grabbed the datapad resting on the table, after pressing a few buttons the holoprojector came to life, a full map of the known galaxy illuminated the room. "What you know of the Unknown Region, Lieutenant, is only what we know." The Admiral said simply. "The Chiss Ascendency and the navigational anomalies you spoke of have made it difficult for the Rebellion to make useful navigational charts of the region." The map that Admiral Sev'esa activated showed capital planets, hyperlanes, Republic outposts and known Imperial fortifications highlighted among the stars. A good twenty percent of the galaxy was then sectioned off and separated from the rest of the map.

"The Galactic Civil War has kept us from getting a firm navigational route to and from the Unknown Region, and the Chiss aren't on particularly good terms with the Republic, or anyone for that matter." Pressing another button on the datapad illuminated the documented hyperspace lanes that were known to the Republic in the Unknown Region. Less than twenty routes were placed on the map, several were just along the borders, most likely blocked by Chiss controlled areas. The rest were separated by light years across the rest of the region, showing how little of the area had been traveled.

The Togruta woman turned from the holoprojector to face Lindmon, "I think we should go over the reason for this mission now." She took a short breath, gathering herself, "Over five years ago, we lost a Jedi. We have reason to believe that he's been in this part of the galaxy since then. Alone. This is a search and rescue operation. One we need to start urgently."

Admiral Sev'esa shut off the holo display returning the room's lighting to normal. He looked towards Lindmon from his position at the table, "This mission will take more than just a few weeks, navigating the Unknown Region can be treacherous. We cannot afford the cost of sending the Phantom out for that long, TibannaX is expensive. A shuttle has been acquisitioned to account for the extended time away from refueling depots and Republic bases." Sev'esa held up his hand cutting off the Lieutenant from protesting the change in assignment. "The King of Spades will be kept on the Blue Diver in its secure hanger until it is needed." This had been another clever way to keep the Phantom a tight secret. It was not kept in the normal starfighter hangar with the other X-Wing, and A-Wing fighters that were loaded on the Blue Diver. Instead a makeshift hanger and refueling station was made in the cargo storage area of the ship, this way the TIE/Phantom could not be viewed, except by authorized personnel.

Lindmon motioned as if to say something but caught himself, turning towards the Togruta.

"I apologize Ambassador, did you say Jedi? I was under the impression they went extinct just before the rise of the empire almost 20 years ago. What do we have that tells us one is hiding out in that void?" He took some time to swipe around on the map, studying the magnetic storms before continuing.

"We have no idea how the Chiss have navigated this. What kind of ship are you assigning to this? A GR-75 perhaps, but preferably something with a bit more agility. Maybe a small freighter..." the end of his sentence trailed off.

"A modified T-6 shuttle is being prepared as we speak." Sev'esa continued, overpowering any response the Ambassador might have, "It is suited for long distance space travel and has enough cargo space for a few months supply, and it's an older ship so the Republic can afford to lose it if it never comes back." The Admiral said grimly, rising from his seat to imply that the briefing was now over.

The Togruta woman bowed kindly to the Admiral and walked out with Lindmon. Cest Sev'esa could be heard grumbling about "Jedi non-sense" before the door slid shut behind them.

As the door closed Lindmon muttered under his breath "A T-6? They may as well hand us a trash junker and send us out with no fuel." He looked to his left, realizing he had said that aloud. "My apologies Ambassador." He once more straightened his uniform. The Republic outfits just didn't sit like the Imperial uniforms.

"I will see to it that we get the most up to date star charts. Hopefully we can get our hands on a decent astromech or two to help out."

"I don't think the Republic navigation chart will help us much here." The ambassador said softly. The two walked together silently through the pristine curved white bulkheads of the Mon Calamari class battleship. The ambassador took a few curious glances at Lieutenant Lindmon before picking up his inquiry from before. "So Lieutenant, what do you know about the Jedi?"

Lindmon looked over at the ambassador, somewhat perplexed. "Not much, Imperial records are sparse, primarily stating that if you encounter one to immediately inform high command. Outside of that I'm aware they have telekinetic and memetic powers along with significant hand to hand combat skills. The high classified documents we were provided made mention of one a time or two but only so far as to keep an ear open for any comms referencing the POI."

He took out a small handheld display device and opened a galactic map of the unknown region. "If our maps aren't going to do us any good, how are we supposed to find where we're going. We could easily fly into a black hole or a solar storm, or any other number of problems. We certainly aren't going to spend the whole time in real space, and plotting multiple jumps will be time, and fuel, consuming...without some way to foreword scout, this mission is off to a sour start"

"That is what we have to figure out." The ambassador said coyly, they stop for a moment as a group of Republic mechanics walked past them through a cross intersection. "I have a lead on where to get started, previous locations and data analysis of the potential areas of interest. It's still a lot of ground to cover, so we'll have to get creative."The large hangar bay doors slid open with the rough sound of metal grinding on metal, revealing multiple squadrons of X-Wing and A-Wing starfighters. Mechanics and technicians bustled about their designated craft refueling and testing the operation of each ship. From the entryway Lindmon could see their T-6 shuttle sitting on the far side of the bay, being loaded with supplies and extra fuel by the flight deck operator. The old rebel jumpsuit he wore was stained and blotched with silt and engine grease. He stood near the loading ramp at the port side of the shuttle checking off each unit being loaded onto the ship, after every few entries he had to stop and wipe the oil off the datapad before continuing.

"I'm to assume that's our man?" Lindmon stated, more rhetorical than an actual question.

They strode over and stopped next to the T-6. Lindmon inspected what appeared to be the engine conduits, but on these old ships it could be hard to tell. The orange paint job was fading, and scratches and scorch marks covered its surface from atmosphere entries and debris collisions.

"For an old bird she doesn't look horrendous." He said, mostly to get the operator's attention.

The flight deck operator looked up from his datapad with a curious expression, "Crest? You the officer for this one?" He asked, pointing with his datapad at the shuttle, it's wide manta like wings overhanging for several meters. "I guess now that you're a Lieutenant your days in the hot seat are over huh?" He coughed awkwardly as Lindmon and the Ambassador waited for his report. In fact, ever since they made their way through the hangar, pilots and technicians had been turning their heads or lifting themselves up out of their cockpits to look their way. Mostly for the striking figure of the Ambassador, her elegant white robes practically shining amongst the run-down flight-suits and oil rags of the hangar.

"Well, we're almost done here. You got four months of rations and supplies, survival packs for a crew of four in case of a breakdown. That includes home beacons, if you need a pickup in an emergency." The flight deck operator said going through his list. "Your crew is already on board, pilot and technician. Oh, and an R3 astro as well. The engine block gimbals needed some work, so you should keep an eye out for malfunctions, if they go out the wings won't be able to rotate around the craft properly and you'll have a hell of a time landing." He finished with a glance towards Lindmon, waiting for his approval.

"I don't think I will ever see a day when my seat isn't at least warm Davidson. Thanks for the rundown, we will make sure to keep an eye on that gimbal, hopefully the R3 can fix us up if we have trouble out there." He put his hand out for the data pad, giving a quick once over of the list of supplies and recent repairs.

"She looks to be in order. That is all Davidson." He handed the datapad down, exchanged salutes with the operator, and motioned to the ambassador to board the ship.

The Ambassador boarded just behind Lindmon, momentarily looking around the cabin of the ship. The port side landing ramp led right into the main hall of the ship, that connected the cockpit, storage compartments, the holoprojector room and refresher. The crews quarters were found in the top part of the ship with small stacked cots, each having a short footlocker for minimal supplies. A ladder between the storage compartment and refresher led up to them.

As they came up the ramp a chime went off, and from a room further in a female voice called "Attention on deck!" They moved further in to find two of the crew standing around a half-played game of Dejarik still projected on the holotable in the refresher.

To the left of the table stood a short, thin, Cathar. Her tan and brown fur tinged with grease and oil stains. A pair of well used welders' goggles hung from her neck and her uniform coveralls were zipped down and tied around her waist. Her tank top was similarly covered in grease stains. A belt pouch hung at her hip with various tools and a large pair of work gloves stuffed hastily inside. She saluted awkwardly, appearing to be the source of the previous call.

To the right of the table stood a large reptilian man. Four blue eyes were set in his draconic head. Two large horns slid back from his temples, following the curve of his skull and back, a gentle crest from the back of his head slid down his neck and into a pocket sewn into his uniform, presumably specifically to house the crest. His skin a light blue tinge, with flecks of green and stripes of dark blue. He saluted much more briskly.

Rolling out from the cockpit came the R3 droid, it seemed relatively new, or at least to be in decent enough shape. Only hosting a few scratches and burns. The clear dome still seemed to be in good shape. Over top of the white chassis ran edges of red and silver. It rolled to a halt just to the right of the Cathar. A small claw popped out of a compartment in the main body and raised itself in what appeared to be an attempt at a salute.

Lindmon returned the gesture briskly "at ease, my name is Lieutenant Lindmon Crest. Very rare to see a Cathar and an Annoo Dat Prime. I'm a little surprised. Report."

The R3 unit rolled forward, holding a small datapad it had retrieved from a holding location in the counter next to the holo table. It provided this to Crest who booted it up and began skimming through the crew manifest.

The Cathar spoke up first. Her voice chipper and excited. "Senior Tech Giz'Dillon, Sir! Maz Giz'Dillon! Folks call me Giz. I will be your technician on this hunk'a'junk, keep her flying no problem. Old birds like this just need a bit of love. I'm also versed in the nav program and can help there, though Reed is much better at it than me."

The astromech beeped and chirped several times.

The Annoo spoke next. His voice a deep guttural snarl accentuated with brief hisses. "Flight Officer Sulahaan Korrhussa, at your service, Ssir, I will be serving as your pilot. It's a pleassure to be flying with you Lieutenant, I've heard sstoriess. Thiss Astromech is R3-D3, but we have taken to calling him Reed. He's a top of the line droid. All his servoess are intact. He can fix an engine failure in 20 secondss flat, lesss if you threaten him."

The droid chirped again, somewhat exasperated, before turning and headed for the cockpit once more.

"A pleasure" Crest said, "forgive me, this is our passenger she will be flying with us for the extent of this mission. I leave any further briefing details to her. Ambassador?" He motioned for her to introduce herself before returning to the crew manifest.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." The Ambassador said calmly. She examined the crew of the shuttle and gently patted the R3 astromech's dome as it passed. "My name is Ahsoka Tano, as I was telling the Lieutenant earlier, this is a search and rescue mission. Any leak of information as to what we are doing could endanger our target, so I appreciate your discretion." She said bowing courteously to the crew.

It took another half hour of preparation and flight system checks before the shuttle was ready. Sulahaan strapped into the pilot's seat murmuring along with Giz in the cockpit. Ahsoka approached Lindmon with a suggestion to begin the mission, "If we are ready to get underway Lieutenant, we should make for the Lothal system. It's the last known location of our target and we will be able to work on a strategy with a specialist there."

Lindmon nodded at the ambassador. "You heard the lady Korhussa, set path to Lothal, get all our departure list out of the way. Once we're clear make the jump."

"Aye Ssir" Sulahaan said, spinning the engine up. Outside of the viewport, the deck operator motioned that the ship was cleared and ready, the large bulkhead opening shimmered a light blue. Giz tapped away at the screen in front of her.

"We're all set for takeoff L-T, engine is spun, fuel is green, seal is green, coordinates are punched in and we're looking at about nine or ten hours in hyperspace. Should be smooth sailing for this first leg of the trip, nothing between us and Lothal."

Lindmon nodded again, stepping up to the viewport and saluting the deck operator who returned the gesture. The shuttle rattled as it lifted off the ground, a deep hiss as the grounding locks dislodged from the underbelly of the ship. Sulahaan gently pushed the shuttle through the forcefield. As it entered open space the large half circle rings rotated around the cockpit, one rotation one way and another in the opposite direction. Giz chimed in once more.

"Foils are green. We have full, unhindered, rotation. Hyperspace jump prepped and ready on you L-T"

"Once we're clear from the Blue Diver make the jump, let's get underway." With one final check the ship shot into hyperspace, lines of blue light streaming past.


	2. Uninvited guest

4 A.B.Y - Lothal System

After several hours the stars rushed back into view across the cockpit screen. The crisp planet of Lothal slowly encompassed the view as the T-6 shuttle turned to enter its orbit. The planet's long low mountains and golden grassy plains covered most of the surface. The spine tree forests were sparse and bordered its large freshwater seas. Several other freighter class starships and transport shuttles were being ferried down to the planet, dropping off shipments of merchandise and passengers. Ahsoka breathed a short sigh, almost relief, as she looked out over the familiar landscape.

"This is Lothal control, shuttle please identify for landing directives." The crackle of comm static filled the cabin. A pair of X-Wing fighters moved into escort positions on each side of the shuttle.

Sulahaan pressed the com button down, one set of his eyes looking over to where he stood.

"This is Lt. Crest with republic command, authorization codes being sent now."

Crest turned to the crew. "Complete landing procedures, when we land see about getting us some extra supplies. The rations are fine and dandy but a little extra never hurt. The ambassador and I will head down and do our inquiries. Double check the gimble, want to make sure it's in good order while we're somewhere we can fix it." Giz nodded while tapping away at her screen. Lindmon turned around and returned to the holotable where Ashoka was seated.

"So what's our contact here?" He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a glass and a bottle of liquor. The vessels clinked against each other as the brown liquid poured out.

Ahsoka watched Lindmon take a few sips of his drink in the holo room. "Our contact is the Head of Security and Contingency Planning for Lothal. She was there when the Empire was driven out of Lothal and our Jedi disappeared."

Ahsoka rose from the table and walked over to the view port in the cockpit, the golden grassy plains quickly passing underneath the shuttle as the capital city came over the horizon. The tall clustered spires of the city were newly constructed, the polished metal reflected the bright sunlight and engulfed the city in a dreamlike glow.

Ahsoka looked over her shoulder at Lindmon from the cockpit, "I've already told her we are coming, we won't have to wait long." She finished with a smile.

"Good, I don't want to spend more time than we have to sitting around. The sooner we find this Jedi of yours the better for us and the Republic." He finished off his drink and set the glass down on the counter. "R3, you're with us. If we need data sent back in a flash I want you there." The small droid chirped several times and drove around in a tight circle. Excitement, one would gather. The shuttle set down on a small pad just inside the city walls. As the walkway extended and dropped, two rows of security officers stood to the sides. The woman standing at the end waited patiently for the small group to descend.

"You're lucky you called, I was about ready to leave without you." The women called out from the end of the rows of security officers, she started to approach the ramp of the shuttle waving off the security detail. "Alright! That's enough of the welcome party! Stocche get the flight deck operator, he should be out here already." On her command the rows of security snapped to attention together and fell out. Stocche, the aforementioned human guard, spoke into his comm device and after a few moments a portly flight deck officer ran out onto the pad to service the ship.

"It's been a long time." Ahsoka said from the bottom of the ramp alongside Lindmon and Reed. Lindmon noticed the distinctive Mandalorian armor immediately. The Empire had conscripted several groups of their clans into service and they proved their reputation as fearsome warriors. Her hair was cut short and artificially colored various shades of violet. Her armor was a tapestry of crimson, silver, and purple, the emblem of the Rebellion emblazoned on her right shoulder, and on the left some kind of creature surrounded by a burst of blue. A large duffel was strapped across her shoulder, the distinct outline of blaster rifles and other provisions poking up against the cloth.

She had a stern expression, no doubt from the years of being head of security and her Mandalorion heritage. In spite of that she gave Ahsoka a warm smile, "It has hasn't it..." She turned to Lindmon, inferring that he was the shuttle's officer, and introduced herself "Sabine. Come on, I'll show you what I've got so far." She said motioning back inside the shuttle, "I'm guessing that Ahsoka hasn't told you much so far, she never does. Always so mysterious." Sabine said teasingly as she passed by Ahsoka.

Lindmon watched as Sabine plowed past them and into the T-6. He looked at Ahsoka who shrugged and followed her.

"She hasn't, I assumed that was protocol. You sure are packed up, If at all possible we would like some extra provisions and my mechanic is taking a look at some maintenance concerns if she could get some help from..." He looked over at the operator who was breathing heavy onto his datapad. "The more time we can spend on the trail the less time we have to lose it." He finished. A gentle breeze sent the waves of tall grass cascading about. "Looks like a pretty tight ship for an outlying planet. I will make sure to make note of that. R3, make a note of that." He said, tapping the droid on the dome. The droid chirped and beeped before making a strange, almost grinding, noise. A small slip of paper, presumably the note, slid out of a small port and floated harmlessly into the breeze.

Sabine glanced at Lindmon as she walked toward the holoprojector, unceremoniously dumping her bag and placing her helmet on the table. "Thanks, it's an outlier for sure but I had to make sure the Empire wasn't able to come back and take it. We've lost too much for that to happen." After a heavy pause she returned to her work, removing several data cards from the bag and flipping them over quickly to see a crude label scrawled across it before tossing them back inside. She rifled through the bag like that for a few moments before shouting a quick exclamation as she pulled out another. "This is the most recent one."

Sabine slid the datacard into the terminal and the table projected a bright blue holo image of Lothal across the room, it slowly shrunk in size and then a small red triangle blinked over an area designated as Capital City. With a press of a button the triangle accelerated out of view leaving a dotted red line denoting it's path. "We were able to get a general heading of his last known hyperspace trajectory." Sabine narrated, pointing across the screen along the dotted red line, "During the war there weren't many analysts to go around. It took some time but going off of this bearing we were able to narrow the possible locations they could have ended up." With another button press the image zoomed quickly out, now displaying a large portion of the galaxy and the entirety of the Unknown Region. The dotted red line started from Lothal, on the fringes of the Outer Rim, and slashed through the dark patch of the galaxy map indicating the Unknown Region. "I tried to take the Star Destroyer's mass into account, and how much it would be thrown off course from various black holes and other anomalies. It's not a perfect calculation but it's all I've got so far." The holoprojection expanded the dotted red line, filling about five percent of the Unknown Region.

Ahsoka stepped forward to investigate the projection, "Not having a full map of the region makes it hard to determine where they could have emerged from." She said simply. "It was almost five years ago...maybe we should work on a projection for planetary movement since then?"

Sabine didn't say anything in response to this. She silently pressed the holotable and hung her head. The galaxy projection shifted slowly across the room, the tiny specs of planets hurtling around their designated stars as it rotated. Outwardly from Lothal, hundreds of stars started to blink into a green color, stopping as they reached the end of known space at the border of the Unknown Region.

The projection stopped rotating in its simulation. Sabine didn't raise her head, she had seen this a dozen times already. She only glared at the floor, biting her lower lip in frustration.

The dotted line that once covered five percent in a red triangle across the Unknown Region, had since grown to fifteen percent.

An impossible task.

Lindmon studied the map as it zoomed out. He staggered a moment when he saw the size of their search area. "This is the best we can get? That's a huge swath of space, no telling how many habitable planets there are in there. And we're looking for one person? Four months of rations is not going to do us any good." He stood a moment, aghast. He placed his hand out and pulled the image closer.

Keeping her eyes on the daunting image of the holo map, Ahsoka walked around the table, inspecting it carefully. "I think making the best of what we have for now can give us a good starting point, Lieutenant. We will have to come up with alternative ways to narrow this search."

Lindmon zoomed the map in closer, to the edge of the search area. "The path seems to come directly into this small cluster here, we could start there I suppose. Maybe request some recon droids to throw some eyes out? I'm not sure, this is really not the most prime information." He tapped on the holo and it highlighted a small red star.

Looking up to see which area Lindmon indicated, Sabine responded "There's pirates in that sector. They cling to the border and raid any smugglers and explorers that get pulled out of hyperspace from the nebula here." She encircled a portion of the map with her finger, around the red dot that Lindmon pointed out. "I'm not sure how the Chimaera made it through, maybe it was just big enough to not be affected by the nebula. I'm not sure, but I've lost several X-wings trying to figure out what was in this region. They have at least a few frigates in the area, maybe more."

"The Chimaera? What sort of ship are we talking here" Lindmon moved the map again, pressing a few buttons on the console to bring up hazards. A large swath of the map blinked red, showing clouds of debris and magnetic spikes. Other sections blinked blue indicating unknown space where sensors hadn't been able to pick up anything. A couple more button presses brought up a map of possible habitable planets. "The trajectory may have brought it here... XP325-232...we really don't have any info this far out do we..." He sighed.

With a press of a button the map disappeared and the holotable projected the image of a massive Imperial-1 Class Star Destroyer. Engraved on the underside of the battleship was the massive image of a two headed Chimaera, it's necks twisting up to the tip of the ship.

"This is the Chimaera." Sabine replied, "Grand Admiral Thrawn used it as his flagship to rip the Rebellion apart in our early days." Her tone was icy, as if just speaking his name would cause him to somehow reappear. She crossed her arms and looked at Lindmon seriously. "If Ezra didn't surrender himself, and force Thrawn's fleet into hyperspace, not only would Lothal be destroyed. So would the Rebellion."

"Has this Thrawn made any appearances since then?" Ahsoka asked.

"Not that I know of. I think if he had we'd all still be waving the Imperial flag."

Lindmon ribbed his temples, turning slightly towards Ahsoka. "Ambassador? I leave the call to you. Normally with a squadron we could handle some pirates but the T6 is only hooked up with a couple of laser cannons. She's not made for combat."

Ahsoka turned to Lindmon and spoke softly, "We can try to set up a manual hyperspace route to XP325-232. Now that Lothal is secure, we can take a longer path around to avoid the pirates at the border nebula. It may take some time, but it may be a good point to start. From there, we'll have to see where the Force will guide us."

Lindmon pressed a button causing the display to dissipate. "I will get Giz working on a path. Hopefully won't take longer than an hour, maybe two. It would seem you're packed to accompany us. I'm not sure if we have the cot space, but if there's an extra rack you are welcome to it." He turned around and headed towards the cockpit, returning a moment later. "According to her, finding a new route won't be the problem. Skirting around that nest is going to take us at least a couple days worth of extra travel." He moved back over to the cabinet and poured himself another small glass. "Either of you care for a drink? I made sure to bring my own collection along."

"I'll join you, only if you've got a drink that'll knock a bantha's fur off!" Sabine replied enthusiastically, grateful for the change of topic. She plucked the data card out of the holo terminal and stashed it back in her pack.

Ahsoka politely bowed and excused herself, moving up to crew's quarters to meditate on the journey to come.

Sabine stepped up to Lindmon and took the offered glass of Antakarian Fire Dancer. She took a large swing of the potent drink, refraining from drinking it all at once due to it's unexpectedly strong smell. Her eyes shifted from the drink and onto the Lieutenant. "So how did you end up on this mission? When Ahsoka called me I didn't realize there was going to be a full crew." Sabine said, gesturing towards him.

"I'm not entirely certain. I have a history with piloting fighters, spent some time working in some classified projects when I was with the Empire. I suppose the hush hush nature of my past work made something like this, where maintaining secrecy is so important, a desirable choice. I only just picked up Lieutenant a couple weeks ago." He took a swig of his own drink, motioning towards the crew quarters. "You and the ambassador seem close. Anything you can tell me there? She's been all business since we boarded. Spends a lot of time in the crew cabins napping, or something to that effect." He shifted over to the bench by the table and took a seat, setting his drink down.

"Meditating most likely. Jedi seem to do that a lot, but I guess Ahsoka isn't really a Jedi, not anymore. That's what she says anyway, she's always helped us though, especially in the early days of the Rebellion." Sabine paused to take another sip of the drink, "She's a good friend."

Sabine jolted suddenly and she looked at Lindmon abashedly, "I'm sorry!" Embarrassment and drink flushing her face. "I guess I got so caught up in the mission details I didn't get your name."

Lindmon chuckled. "Lindmon Crest. A pleasure to have you aboard. Although, if you wanted to come you could have simply put in a request." He said with a laugh. "A Jedi thing huh? I suppose a good thing to have for tracking down a Jedi, is another. Would have been helpful to have known that previously. My report didn't say anything about that past." He tapped the holotable and the projection coalesced. He studied it half-heartedly, taking another sip of his drink.

"That kind of information is something we both want to keep hidden. I've given over the security detail for Lothal, but on paper I'm still there. We may have won a few battles against the Empire and defeated their leadership but they're still a threat." Sabine sighed and finished her liquor, "Lothal has great natural resources, the Empire used it to build factories for the elite TIE Defender project years ago. I don't want them thinking there's some opening they can exploit."

Sabine grabbed the bottle of Antakarian Fire Dancer and poured another glassful. "Being a Jedi, even an Ex-Jedi, can make you a lot of enemies. Some you can't prepare for. It's better for her to be cautious." She set the bottle back in its cabinet and left the shuttle bar, walking over to Lindmon at the holotable "What is this?" She asked Lindmon simply, pointing at the projection.

"I find staring lackadaisically at things often helps me figure out what I'm trying to figure out. Whatever feels right. Hasn't steered me wrong yet. So, I'm just blankly looking at the star map and waiting to see if something jumps out at me." He said offhandedly, sipping his drink again. An excited chitter emanated from the cockpit, quickly followed by Reed. He beeped a couple of times, followed by more electronic chattering.

"Got is a decent heading so we can get started L-T, will keep working on the manual lanes." Giz called out from the cockpit.

After that the T-6 shuttle lifted off from the landing pad near Lothal's capital city. Flying away from the gleaming white towers and up into the planet's atmosphere, leaving the spine tree forests and golden plains far below. Once the shuttle was far enough past the traffic above the planet the X-Wing escorts broke off, wishing Lieutenant Crest a good journey.

The first day of hyperspace travel remained pleasantly quiet, there was some idle chatter amongst the crew but otherwise it was uneventful.

The morning of the second day, right before the crew were to break through the border of the Unknown Regions, the holotable blinked and beeped in a low trilling tone. An incoming message. Lindmon activated the call and the image of Admiral Cest Sev'esa formed above it, his demeanor was calmer and more measured than the last meeting aboard the Blue Diver.

"Lieutenant." Sev'esa said briskly, "I'd like an initial report on your progress with this witch-hunt. I have some updates on command intentions as well."

Lindmon popped off a salute as the admiral came on. R3 rolled up next to him. "Of course, Sir, we're currently enroute to a planet just inside the unknown region, we had to take a longer route to avoid some unpleasantness. We received what intel was available from the chief security officer on Lothal, details of which I will have R3 foreword to you. The planet in question is a habitable planet that is, so far as recent scans can tell us, mostly islands. No current information about locals to report. I will also have R3 route you the data from the trajectory, to have it analyzed and give us possible lanes of travel and viable planets." R3 chirped several times before shifting to the holotable and plugging himself into it.

Admiral Cest Sev'esa nodded half-heartedly as he listened to Lindmon. Reading the transmitted report R3 uploaded on his datapad. "Right... I'll make a request for our spies in the region to send some of their navigational routes back to New Republic hands if at all possible."

Normal procedure for many spies would be to dump the nav logs after every few jumps, in case of capture or remote hacking of their ship computer.

"Mmm, this is the general route you're using as the basis of your search? It's quite large, which is good in fact." He said with more aplomb than was present in his previous musings. "I'm assigning a secondary directive to you and your crew. In my opinion, it's the only reason you're going out there at all, not to waste time looking for someone who should've been declared dead years ago." Sev'esa said, his normal grumpiness returning to his voice.

"We're getting an increasing amount of reports that the Empire is retreating into the Unknown Region, and I don't like it. I want to know what they're up to in there. We have other spies in the Unknown Region, but if we can work around where you are searching we can cover more ground. I want to know who's leading them, where they're massing their fleets, what kind of influence they're gaining among the planets in the region, if they have Star Destroyer factories." He counted off his fingers to emphasize his points. "Anything you find that can help the New Republic push the Empire out of the galaxy entirely."

"Aye Sir, we'll keep our eyes open for any Empire activities. Last I heard they didn't have plans for construction, maybe an outpost at most. Perhaps they are trying to reopen lanes with the Chiss. We will do what we can to expand our search parameters to fill that role. I will make sure we send regular reports, likely through Lothal. We aren't sure how the hazards out here are going to affect communications, so we'll do the best we can." As the conversation began to come to a close Giz entered from the cockpit.

"L-T, we're coming out of hyperspace in a couple of minutes near 325. We need a better name than that. Anyways, she should be in view for scans within the hour."

Lindmon nodded and returned to the Admiral. "Sounds like it's showtime Sir. I will get you a report once we finish looking into this lead."

"Very good Lieutenant Crest. Your dedication to the New Republic's priorities is commendable." Admiral Sev'esa said, switching off the holotable. "I'm looking forward to your findings." The holo image of Admiral Cest Sev'esa then quickly winked out of existence.

When Lieutenant Crest finished the conference with Sev'esa he joined the rest of the crew of the shuttle in the cockpit. Suhlahaan quietly sat in the pilot's seat, occasionally smacking his thick jowls each time he glanced at the navigational computer. In the copilots' seat, Giz clasped a set of earphones to her ears with her small hands, eyes closed in concentration, listening for any comms noise that might present itself before they exited the jump. The slightest bit of forewarning to danger can be the difference between life and death out in the unknown.

Sabine leaned on the back wall, the thin short distance jetpack keeping her from being up against it completely. She stared out into the hyperspace tunnel through the viewport. Since Lindmon had met her, Sabine had been self-assured and stoic, and even though her face remained impassive he could almost feel the anxiousness coming off her in waves. The prospect of finally being able to find her long lost friend was enough to stir the emotions of the hardened Mandalorian warrior.

Ahsoka sat on one of the rear chairs in the cockpit, her face calm and serene. She smiled at Lindmon as he stood next to her. A veteran of the clone wars, who at the end watched her order burn around her, it's Republic replaced by the Galactic Empire at the hands of her old master, had turned her emotions into cold durasteel. During the time of the Rebellion she charged herself against the Emperor, preventing him from dominating the galaxy with the twisted energies of the Force. Now that he was defeated, Ahsoka was determined to find the secrets of the Force that lie hidden in the darkness.


	3. Mind games

4 A.B.Y.

2 months after entering the Unknown Region

The shuttle's proximity alarm trilled from the cockpit, indicating that the target planet would be coming up shortly. Sulahaan and Giz were quickly at the controls again. Navigating the Unknown Regions entailed a lot of small short hyperspace jumps to avoid the numerous black holes and navigational dead zones. They had become accustomed to long shifts in the cockpit, especially after they had gotten trapped by a cluster of black holes. It took a week and a half and hundreds of small one-minute jumps to navigate out of there safely.

So far, they had reached and searched over one hundred and eleven locations in the target zone. Many of them were uninhabited, which only required a brief flyover for the shuttle's scanner to check, but there were some that were so teeming with life that they had needed to search below the atmosphere or on foot. In these cases Lieutenant Crest made sure the shuttle's fresh water was restocked. They weren't so low on food that they needed to worry about hunting, there had still been a little over a month and a half of rations left. He marked the easy access habitats on their nav computer that would be best suited for those scenarios regardless.

The shuttle lurched out of hyperspace, a condition it picked up after the shuttle's compressor shorted as they were entangled in the black holes. Giz and Reed patched it up to safe working order, but this little quirk seemed to stay.

The T-6 shuttle accelerated towards the planet now growing larger in the view screen. Deep fissures and cliffs split the amber crust, massive gusts whirling about the surface picked up the sand and small rocks resting there, hurtling them at high speeds. What little water that existed on the planet had turned a sandy brown color, filled with silt and muck from a thousand years.

Giz turned from her console after finishing her initial scan of the planet. "Sir, I'm getting multiple life forms. They appear to be centralized around other thermionic signatures, it could be a city of some kind. Inside the cracks of the planet." she detailed, as she analyzed the ships readout.

Lieutenant Crest taped a display to his left, readings and diagnostics filtered past.

"It seems pretty hot down there. Try and get what we can from orbit for a bit before we decide if we need a landing. Any signs of ships or higher tech. Don't want another Vaneta Prime. Sabine, morning libations?" He motioned to the common area and headed that way.

Over two months of travel many things happen. Bonds were forged, habits formed, leniencies allowed. Over the expanse of the last couple months, Sabin and Lindmon had made a habit of musing over the task at hand with a drink in hand. From time to time Ahsoka would join them, not drinking, or Giz and sometimes Sulahaan. The atmosphere onboard had become lighter. Lindmon had always enjoyed the feel of comradery that came from smaller vessels. As Sabine took her place and the usual drinks were poured, she flipped on the holotable and tuned it onto the info coming in from the scanners. The brown ball of the planet spun lazily over the surface. Small markers began cropping up around the globe, thermal sites, locations of biological signs, danger areas.

"Communications in this sector have been really quiet of late. My hopes aren't up for civilized presence in this zone..."

Sabine took a few sips of the drink, carefully examining the planets readings as they were fed into the projector. So far, she had attacked each search of every new planet with the same zeal as the first. "These temperature readings can't be right, we must be getting residual heat waves from the nebula behind us. Look here, and here." She said, zooming in to a sandy riverbed coming out of the base of a canyon. It's color barely made it distinguishable from the surrounding earth. "If it was that hot down there this would have evaporated entirely."

As they were looking at the readings one popped up different from the others. Tech readings.

"Well. Guess we do have to go down after all." He said, somewhat exasperated. He pressed a button on the console. "Sul, send out some landing requests. If you don't get a response, try and find a good spot near that tech ping." He tapped again on the console and the area zoomed, showing a canyon with a large cluster of life signs.

Sulahaan guided the shuttle around the planet, closing in on the source of the signal as they broke into the atmosphere. The reading indicated that the massive canyon to its eastern hemisphere was teaming with a collection of tech and life signals. As they got closer, a few space craft launched into the air from the hanger inside the canyon. They cruised upward into space, leaving a trail of dust behind them.

The cockpit received a dull confirmation tone and landing coordinates were given, the walls of the canyon seemed to have been carved out to create landing pad sections away from inclement weather. The ground level of the planet hung over the crevice like many twisted teeth. Sulahaan took care in positioning the shuttle between the earth, twisting the T-6's large ray like wings vertically, flattening out the profile of the ship as it slipped in.

Within the canyon, lining it's miles long walls, hung a precipitous open-air market. Sheets of durasteel and outcroppings of carved rock were strung together with twisted cords of iron cable that created the labyrinth of pathways connecting the hidden city.

Rugged alien renegades huddled over their weather worn gambling tables, betting the lion's share of the credits they had earned stealing and bounty hunting in the fringes of space. The bottom of the canyon was filled with the splinters of flipped game tables and the skulls of daring cheats.

Wealthy gangsters and notorious hunters had private quarters carved into the inside walls of the canyon. Their reinforced metal doors sometimes hidden behind market stalls they had purchased for cover, run by prudent locals willing to keep inquisitive minds away in exchange for an area to place their hanging gorg stalls.

The T-6 whipped around inside it's assigned hangar, the wings twisting back to their horizontal landing position, and set down inside before lowering the entry ramp with a hiss. Several Aleena were scattered about the bay, slaves of the hangar owner. They futilely attempted to sweep the sand spray that continued to settle in the hangar, others scuffled in a corner over a small portion of spice, using their tiny claws to tear at the leathery hide of their fellow slaves

"Well... they look nice!" said Giz enthusiastically. Reed let out a nervous chirp in response.

"Seems prudent to dress down for this excursion. Sabine, Ambassador, Giz, with me. Sulahaan, stick around, scare off any locals that get to close. See what more we can do with that compressor too. I don't expect a good quality replacement here."

The large Annoo nodded, unbuckling himself from the pilot seat. Giz hopped up excitedly. "I'll go get changed right away, Sir!" She trilled as she rushed to her quarters. Lindmon followed suit, changing out of his now dusty uniform. He donned a long trench coat and slung his blaster around underneath. A strange itching in the back of his mind told him to keep his guard up. He'd been having more of these inclinations since coming aboard the ship.

Ahsoka wrapped herself in the familiar white cloak she came aboard the shuttle with. She lowered the hood of her cloak and let it drape down behind her shoulders showing her striking blue and white montrals prior to walking down the exit ramp beside Lindmon.

Already at the bottom of the ramp, Sabine strode into the hangar bay to look for the lift down to the main city. Getting geared up took her mere moments as she rarely wore anything besides her Mandalorian shock trooper armor. Lindmon observed that she only took it off to sleep and one other occasion in which she didn't bother to put it on. This time though Sabine had her helmet on, which Lindmon learned after several nights of drinks was a fairly powerful computer controlled by voice commands that assisted with things such as flight controls and targeting. This is the first time she had armed herself as well, two Westar-35 blaster pistols rested in the holsters at her hips. Behind one of the pistols on her belt hung a small cylindrical device with a red switch near the center. Colored black and silver, the metal had carefully machined grooves etched into it.

"So Lieutenant, how do you feel about this place?" Ahsoka asked, walking in stride with Lindmon.

Lindmon looked around the bay as they reached the bottom of the ramp. "Nervous, the whole area feels hostile...Heavy, is a good word I can put to it. I don't want to stay here longer than we need to."

Giz skipped past them, dressed in a pair of ratty capris, boots, and a long shirt. A scarf headdress wrapped gently around her head, and a pair of DL-44's hung from her hips bouncing listlessly with her motions. Several of the small aliens squabbling nearby watched as the crew disembarked.

"Any ideas where to start our search here? I would say Cantinas, but I'm worried the people here may be a bit touchy about questions."

"You're very perceptive." Ahsoka said with a smile "Sometimes where you want to go, isn't where you ought to go. Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts to lead you down the right path." she finished cryptically, observing how Lindmon interpreted this advice.

Giz caught up to Sabine in the lift, receiving a friendly shove from the Mandalorian. The two had gotten especially close since the start of the mission, bonding over tech and specialized weaponry. Giz's fresh and excitable nature was a compliment to her new friend's more cool headed demeanor. During the black hole entanglement, they worked together to find the method in which the shuttle would be able to escape. It blew the compressor but they had managed to fix it as a team as well.

"So, what's the plan Lieutenant?" Sabine asked as Lindmon and Ahsoka approached the lift.

Lindmon contemplated What Ashoka said for a moment, looking at the two in front of him.

"Sabine, you and Giz take the Cantina, I doubt any one of these rough and tumbles would care to tumble with a Mandalorian. Giz, while you're out there, see what you can find out about any Imperial dealings in this neck of the woods. Use your head though, if they seem like loyalists, maybe don't ask them this time." He said with a smirk. Giz exchanged a salute and Sabine waved as they departed.

"You and I, Ambassador, are going down to where the excitement is. I have a feeling we may come across something down by the betting rings." He took a sharp turn, tapping the wrist mounted device, which after a short time conversing with the spaceport's systems, propagated a map of the area.

The map did not reveal specifically where the betting ring was located, but Lindmon determined a viable area it may be situated. Far from the hangar, away from traveling eyes, most likely close to a drinking establishment on the lower levels of the many tiered canyon city. He began the long walk to the betting zone, being careful where he stepped. Certain parts of the walkways creaked and swayed from their positions hundreds of feet off the ground. They passed by market stalls selling pendants made of teeth, strung together to be hung in rows, and stalls that served viscous liquids in a pint cup. The stall owner called out to passerby's in his growling native language.

Ahsoka walked beside him, her hands folded neatly on top of each other as her feet deftly glided between the groupings of alien gambling tables and dangerous footing. "Lieutenant. I've been having some concerns that I would like to discuss with you." She said to Lindmon, her face resolute in a manner the Lieutenant hadn't seen before.

"Is it appropriate for open air discussions? Any concerns you have, I'm happy to attempt to alleviate." He tapped again at his device, data streams passing by rapidly. He pressed a few more keys and a path lit up on the map, he started to follow that.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Ahsoka replied, her voice still firm and serious. She didn't say anything right away, instead letting the noise of the city give her time to arrange her words. "I've been having visions in the Force recently. They're dark...and foreboding. Warning of great turmoil that may yet come to pass. I'm afraid that what's happening here in the Unknown Region is tied to these visions." She spoke carefully and discreetly to Lindmon.

Lindmon stepped a little closer to her as they walked so as to keep his voice down. "That doesn't sound good. I keep getting a feeling like there's something big going on...but I'm not sure how finding this renegade Jedi of yours is supposed to help... it's important that we find him, don't get me wrong but...the Empire is still a threat. The death of Palpatine didn't suddenly destroy the entire Empire, somebody else jumped in to pick up the pieces." They rounded a corner into a long alley which turned into a deep stairwell.

"Don't discount the impact a single Jedi can make upon the galaxy. The Force can be a powerful ally, for good and bad..." She said sternly. They started down the stairwell, it was narrow and damp, carved straight out of the canyon stone. Ahsoka sighed heavily before continuing the conversation, "The more things I discover on this mission, the more I wish I could turn back time and change the way it all turned out."

"The way what turned out?" Lindmon asked, reaching the bottom of the stairwell and turning back onto another small path, the area was getting darker as they progressed lower into the depths of the canyon.

"The Force will sometimes present many different paths in front of you. I thought I knew the one that would be best for everyone." She explained, "But in my arrogance, I left my friends to fend for themselves against the Empire. In doing so I feel I've set them on a dangerous path." Ahsoka said sadly.

"Whatever happened, I'm sure it's not your fault." Lindmon responded, attempting to be uplifting. "You can't change the past, dwelling on it will just bring you down and cause you to slip up when it's crucial that you don't. Mistakes happen, but they aren't irreparable."

Ahsoka smiled meekly but didn't respond immediately, she continued to walk with Lindmon quietly, her brow furrowed deep in thought. She contemplated what to say next. Would telling him she knew about his latent Force sensitivity be the best choice right now? To tell him about the Force? No, it was too early for that. Ahsoka needed him to understand first, the risks of being so attuned to the Force, and her trepidation with the mission. It could end up entangling him as well if her fears of the future come to pass.

They walked through the city for another minute, Ahsoka paying no mind to the bustle of the city as she thought. On the balcony above them, blaster fire rang out as two thugs killed each other over a botched bounty hunt. The city barely stopped for a moment before returning to its normal routine of swindling and bartering. Ahsoka used this pause to continue the conversation about her worries. "That thing Sabine had on her belt. Do you happen to know what it is?" Ahsoka asked curiously. She attempted to act ignorant, but the serious tone in her voice suggested otherwise.

As the blaster fire rang out Lindmon's hand moved to his own blaster, settling himself almost as fast as the locals. "It looked to me like a thermal detonator, likely a 'just in case' sort of device. Doesn't hurt to have a little heavy ammunition in a back water bantha heap like this." They rounded the last corner and come face to face with a large Gammorean. It growled at the pair. Standing behind him was a thin, lanky human.

"Well well, new faces in the pits! That's rare it is. Come for some games? Maybe to win a few credits before continuing on your way? You have come to the right spot you have." The man snickered to himself before tapping the lumbering alien on the shoulder. It thudded to the side, allowing them through. The lanky man motioned for them to follow. "We have all sorts here, some racing fans bet on the pod races beamed in from Tatooine, others over here playing Sabacc, some dice, some cards, take your pick. But of course, cheat at your own risk. The crevice makes for a simple and easy body disposal system if you catch my drift." He chuckled to himself before slinking away.

"Well...you any good at Sabacc?" Lindmon asked.

Ahsoka shook her head, the best way to be good at Sabacc is being able to play without being called a cheat. With her strong connection to the Force she found it almost impossible not to win at every opportunity. "I'm a notorious cheater, Lieutenant. Perhaps you can show me how to win respectably?" She asked gently, putting aside her previous concerns for another time.

"Respectably? In this den of thieves? Well that sounds like a stellar idea." He said, somewhat jokingly. He walked over to a table where several patrons looked him up and down. A Rodian and a Trandoshian sitting next to each other at the table exchanged a quick glance. The dealer looked over and smiled wide, a significant change from the mood coming from the rest of the table.

"Aaaah! A new player! Come sit please! Credits are the primary betting resource here but uh.." He eyed Ashoka up and down "we do accept any bet, of course."

Lindmon set a small sack on the table. When he spoke it was heavily accented. Obviously Imperial. His normal accent was more subtle.

"Just deal me in, it's been a long week and I simply need to bet. Also, a drink, something nice, bring one for everybody at the table." He said with a snap. The other members of the table shifted uncomfortably. The dealer's smile twitched, the atmosphere around the table had taken an obvious turn. "Did I stutter? I have the credits, bring the drinks." The dealer pulled himself back together long enough to shout an order into the back of the room in an alien language, the slave in the back jumped, startled, and mixed several drinks before bringing them over and setting them down in front of each member of the table.

They have some problems with Imperials...Have they become so prominent in this part of the galaxy? Ahsoka wondered, noticing the shift in mood around the room.

Of course, any group of scoundrels and aliens would have a problem with the rigid structure and speciesist attitude that the Imperials were known for. Yet there was something more she sensed, an unnerving feeling, more than just distaste. She cautiously walked up to the table and stood near Lindmon as he called for his drinks.

The cards came out around the table, bets were placed, hands were won and lost. As the game continued Lindmon struck up a conversation with the group. Before long, even with his heavy accent and the uncomfortable air that came with it, the table loosened up. The Trandoshian and Rodian exchanged jokes and laughed to themselves. After a couple more rounds, and down a fair handful of credits, Lindmon switched tactics. His previously tired and pleasant air turned cold and stoic.

The sheer difference nearly knocked the breath out of those at the table. He sat up straight and pulled a small pin out of his coat pocket and placed it on the table. The Imperial sigil, surrounded by an oak leaf and vine, the symbol of Imperial special forces. The table went completely silent. He took his hand and placed it face down.

"This has been fun but...down to business. We're looking for somebody. A gentleman by the name of Bridger, he was in custody and has since slipped his bonds. Any aid you can give..." He placed the satchel in the center of the table. "...will be heavily rewarded." He stared coldly at each person at the table in turn.

The group sat stunned for a moment before they regained their composure. The dealer glared at the badge before narrowing his eyes at Lindmon, "You must be forgetting where you are Imperial..." The Rodian uncliped the blaster at his hip, placing a careful hand over the grip. A loud bang sent chips scattering as the Trandoshan slammed his large rifle onto the table, pushing himself out of the chair as he hissed at Lindmon. "Saqor's a sanctuary for all of us, our port in the storm. Nobody is going to sell someone out for money here." The dealer said gesturing at the rest of the inhabitants of the room. "There's not one person in this city without a bounty on their head."

"Still, tell us what you know." Ahsoka said, stepping up to the table and gently waving her fingers.

The wave of Force encircle the dealer, blurring the edges of his vision and compelling him to reply. His mouth fell open, yet the response was unknown to him, his voice muffled to his ears as if he was submerged in water.

"I heard of him...years ago you were all looking for that Bridger. Asking all over the sector..."

The Rodian and Trandoshan exchanged surprised looks and shouted at the dealer in protest. Ahsoka pressed him harder, blacking out his vision. The disorientation twisted his senses and he struggled against vomiting.

"A few years later you stopped... figured you got what you wanted and killed him." Ahsoka's hand snapped back, releasing her hold over his mind.

The dealer, noticeably more disgruntled, rose up from his chair. He leaned in to Lindmon's face, placing both hands on the table. "You come in here acting like you own the Unknown Region, but there is no Empire out here. Now, you can either end up at the bottom of the canyon, or you can leave the money, and go." He said threateningly, scowling at Lindmon.

"You misunderstand me gentlemen. I am not paying you for information. I was making a bet, of course information would have pushed me to either fold, or play. The situation you find yourselves in is simple." He pulled a small orb from within his pocket. Silver and black. The red button on the top was pressed and flashed gently. He placed it on the table, keeping his finger on the top of the detonator. "We are working, simple as that. Stopped in for some libations and good times and assumed you fine folk would be willing to take some coin, in exchange for some harmless information. If the Bridger boy isn't here, you have no reason to protect him. As our nice dealer has been so kind as to reveal, he isn't here. Now would we care to reveal our hands and split the pot as is customary in these games, or do we decide today has been to wonderful a day to see another." He picked up his pin gently, placing it back in his pocket.

"The Empire has no holds in this area, of this, I am aware. But of course, I'm also aware of the bounties about this table. Three of which could be easily wiped from Imperial record."

He motioned around the table. "I'm sure any one of you would be glad to not have quite so much worry in your lives. But of course, if that's not the case, I will gladly step away with what I've earned."

As he whispered his words to the table, each member leaning in imperceptibly to hear him, each in turn felt woozy. Almost drunk, but of course they only had a couple of drinks. The words the human said seemed...alluring...

A dense pause hung over the table, the detonator beeping and blinking in Lindmon's hand. For a moment even Ahsoka felt unsettled by the showdown.

The dealer barked out a laugh, slumping backwards into his seat. "As far as Imperials go, you're one of my favorites." He said chuckling. With the implication of having one or two bounties removed on top of the threat of the detonator, the dealer folded, tossing his cards into the middle. "All I've heard about that Bridger has been from hacked comms and loose lipped Imperials."

The Trandoshan hissed and threw his cards in the middle as well, "Never heard of 'em." He said sourly. He grasped his large blaster rifle from the table with a thick claw and marched off, upset after being forced to lose the game in exchange for the slim chance Lindmon was actually able to rid the bounty.

The Rodian sat quietly, cards still in hand, unmoved by the bounty deal or the thermal detonator. He stared expectantly for a few seconds before nodding his head at Lindmon's cards.

Lindmon flipped his cards across the table, a plus in total. Not a Sabacc but still a damn good hand.

"Tooska chai mani!" The Rodian knocked his chair over in anger, whipping his cards into the air. A minus one, also a damn fine hand. But loses in a tie with a plus one. The Rodian pointed in Lindmon's face, and shouted rapidly in huttese. His green snout squeaking something about 'talking too much' and 'just playing the game'. He scooped up the remainder of his chips and left the table to go play with someone else.

Lindmon picked up the detonator, twisted the top and slid the button back out of position, deactivating the explosive. He slid it back into his pocket and picked up his satchel and the winnings off the table. "When you say hacked comms, what sort of information has come out of that?" He said, sliding a small pile of credits towards the dealer. "Not a bribe here, friend, a tip for your services, of course." He placed the winnings into his pocket.

The dealer scoffed, "You're an Imperial, you know how much valuable info goes through your comm stations. I have a guy that takes their transmissions in the sector and analyzes it. Gives me their Star Destroyer routes. I sell that info to the smugglers around here, so they can slip by the big fish." He said shrugging, "I don't know how he does it, they're meticulous with their logs. It goes back for decades. On some of their routes there may have been a priority on this Bridger kid." He patted his pocket with the credit inside, "And that's all the tip that this tip buys." He finished.

Lindmon offered a slight bow to the dealer who turned back towards the bar. "Well that could have gone worse. We at least know there is somebody here who dabbles in the kind of data we're looking for..." He turned and started to move back towards the entrance to make way back to their hangar.

"It seems like you have won a lot. I'm impressed." Ahsoka said, nodding towards Lindmon's sack of winnings. She took her place next to him and they walked towards the hangar. "Still, I think the information is enough to go on. If we can get the data from one of the Imperial comm stations, we might be able to use that information to narrow our search."

"The data was the primary winning." Lindmon said, "although, the extra credits will go a long way to help with the ship. Let's make our way back up, see if Sabine and Giz came across anything of use." The pair made their way out of the establishment, and back up the previous path. The Gamorrean grunted as they passed by. "So, what was it you were getting at with the device Sabine had on her?"

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at Lindmon's question, "Did your performance back there make you realize that it was different than a mere thermal detonator?" She asked coyly, "It is Sabine though, the chances of her creating a specialized explosive is high, but what it actually is...worries me".

They walked together for a few paces, before Ahsoka grabbed Lindmon by the arm. She pulled him to the side of the path for a moment, facing the rock and away from prying eyes. Ahsoka now determined to pass this lesson on to Lindmon.

"It is a lightsaber." She said, reaching into her white cloak. What she pulled out Lindmon immediately identified as a similar item to the one Sabine had. Ahsoka held it in her open hand for Lindmon to see. This lightsaber had the same kind of sleek polished metal, and carefully machined etchings as he had seen before. Although with a more curved handle than the other lightsaber's straight form.

"This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. An elegant weapon, it is one of the few personal attachments allowed in the Order. They teach Jedi to treat this weapon as if it were their own life, an extension of themselves in a way. To never be without it. The impression left by those teachings was so strong that even after I left the Order...I couldn't bear not to have one." She said wistfully. "A Jedi's lightsaber can be an intensely personal item, each piece hand crafted by its owner."

Ahsoka tucked her lightsaber away back into the cloak. She looked to Lindmon with an earnest stare, "Now the question is. Why does Sabine, who is not a Jedi, have a lightsaber?"

"I suppose that's the question of the hour" Lindmon replied, glancing over his shoulder. The tingling sensation rearing its ugly head again. "I don't think we should stay here long, I think my performance may have turned some unfriendly eyes in our direction." He turned out of the alley and looked both ways, suspicious. He motioned to Ashoka and they begin to head back towards the shuttle.


	4. Hard fought friend

On the other side of the canyon, in a dark cantina, Sabine and Giz sat with drinks in hand. Giz scratched her ears under her headdress. "You got a couple of lads giving you the eye, haven't you?" She said with a nervous chuckle, taking a sip from her rum. Sabine had been a point of focus for many sitting in the bar since they walked in.

"It's the armor. Mandalorians make a good living off of bounty hunting. It must be putting those guys on edge." Sabine scoffed. She glanced around the interior of the cantina they found on the right side of the canyon. On the fourth level, it was a large open-door cantina created using the inside of a cave. Hanging lamps lined the halls and ceiling, illuminating the cave walls with a deep orange glow.

It's inhabitants were mostly quiet and kept to themselves, whispering smuggling routes and local legends over the thick wooden tables that lined the cave walls.

Sabine threw back the clear liquor and slammed the cup back down on the table, her helmet that rested there bouncing slightly from the impact. "Crest made it sound like you've had some experience in getting information from the Empire. What do you think we can get on them from here?" She asked Giz, placing a credit chip on a passing Astro-server and exchanging her empty glass with a new drink.

Giz finished off her glass also, not letting herself be one upped, she placed a credit and got a fresh drink as well. "Outposts like this always have somebody who dabbles in data, especially data that the Empire doesn't want in Republic hands. If we ask the right questions we should be able to locate somebody who knows something" She twirled her drink around, ice clattering against ice as she looked around the room. "If we're gonna come across anybody, here is the place to do it for sure, cantinas always have those unsavory types, or at least the ones who know what we're looking for. Your armor may be our ticket to that too" She smiled and giggled to herself, tapping the top of Sabine's helmet. "This is a cool piece of tech! Would love to get a look at its inner workings at some point."

"No way!" Sabine exclaimed playfully, sliding the helmet away from Giz. "Our helmet designs are clan secrets. If I showed you, I'd have to kill you." She finished with a wink.

"So where does my armor come into the plan?" Sabine continued, looking down at her multicolored armor plates. "I'm not sure how this can help us find a source. Unless you're talking about roughing up some people."

Giz shook her head laughing. "No no, not roughing anybody up. The way L-T put it, if anybody is gonna be trying to track down somebody in a bounty hunter haven it's a Mandalorian. With no 'connections' to the republic or empire you will have a much easier time convincing somebody to part with sensitive data than any of us." She sat up straight and put on a fake Imperial accent, "We need to know what they know and they sure as hell won't tell just anybody, I should know, I was 'special forces'" She giggled at her own impersonation.

Sabine laughed along with Giz and the two talked for several more minutes as they scoped out the room for a potential candidate. Giz spoke up first, nodding her head slightly to a booth just off the side of the bar. "That may be it, that Duros hasn't got up from that booth since we've been here, but three others have come and talked to him."

They both finish their drinks and get up from the table. Sabine slid her helmet back on, the visual displays blinking as they reconnected to her suit's systems. They casually walked over to the booth where the Duros sat quietly staring at the table.

Once they sat down the Duros spoke in a deep gravelly voice, as if his throat had been sliced into and then reconnected. "What brings you to Saqor? Hunting?" He said quietly, taking note of Sabine's armor.

"Yes. In fact." Replied Sabine, "My target made their way into this region and I need some information on where they ended up."

"Not from around here eh?" The Duros said, "You're in luck then, Old Teroch has been on planet for a few weeks. Heard he's been trading out contracts for favors with some of the Mandos passing through Saqor. Might be able to help you." He informed, taking a long drink from his frothy cup.

Giz frowned, looking at Sabine and tapping her on the shoulder, drawing her in close. "Didn't we hear something about this Taroch fella'? Couple days ago? That "Deijo" fella? Said he got some bad data..." she said in a hushed tone, just loud enough for the Duros to hear. "If that's best this guy has we can take our credits elsewhere." She leaned back in her chair, taking a swig of her rum, her bright green eyes flashing in the light from the wall lanterns.

The Duros rolled his deep bulbous red eyes in annoyance. "Look, if your friend got bad data that's on him." The informant grumbled, "Terochs a Mando, he'll give you some help...not without a favor of course. Besides no one else is gonna want to deal with a hunter, especially one they don't know."

Giz's ears flattened against her head under her headdress, she chuckled lightly scratching the back of her head. "Ehehe right." She shuffled a little and sipped her drink abashedly.

"Alright then. Where can I find him?" Sabine said, a little more convinced at hearing the contact was a Mandalorian. By no means did she think that guaranteed he'd be friendly, but it helped knowing she shared some of the traits of the person they would be meeting.

The Duros didn't respond to Sabine's question. Instead he just silently held his hand across the table, palm open. Sabine reached behind her, carefully, not wanting to have anyone think she was pulling out a blaster. She grabbed a few credit chips out of the pouch at her waist and dropped them into the informant's hand.

The Duros happily tucked away the credits, "You can find him on level two, behind Hojun's drink stall."

"Ooh more drinks!" Giz perked back up at the thought, smiling toothily at the alien across from her. "Thanks mister! Sure, hope this works out, getting tired of running around like crazy people..." she said, more as an aside to Sabine. She stood up, dropped the last of what she owed and an empty glass on the nearest waiting droid and waved to the Duros.

Giz and Sabine walked out of the cantina and back into the natural light of the canyon. The sky was burnished a deep orange-red color from it's sun, slowly beginning to set. Sabine and Giz stopped briefly outside of the cantina entrance, activating their communicator.

"Lieutenant, I think we might have a lead with a contact on Saqor. We're about to head to that area now, have you found anything yet?" Sabine asked into the comm.

Lindmon's voice crackled through. "10-4, we've learned there is a contact here who dabbles in Imperial traffic data which could help us track the Chimaera or where it got to. No name or other information. Be aware, some unsavory types may be hanging around the hanger, I have a feeling we're being followed, we're enroute to the bird now."

"That's great!" Sabine exclaimed excitedly, happy that there was finally some solid lead in the search. "Giz and I will go check out our contact now. We'll meet you back at the shuttle." She finished hurriedly. She twisted the bottom of the comm cylinder, shutting it off, and tucked it back in the pouch on her belt.

Taking off towards the market stalls of the second level, Giz had to pick up the pace to keep up. Sabine had very nearly started to run down the rickety suspension bridges that weaved through Saqor. She quickly searched the market for any sign of Hojin's drink stall. The crowds of the city were starting to thin at that time of day, everyone retreating to their sleeping quarters for the few days they were at Saqor, or having already left the planet to pursue the contracts found earlier in the day.

Giz skipped behind Sabine as they made their way down the narrow corridors. "So, what's the plan when we find this guy? Not sure I'm gonna be a lot of help in this particular conversation." She said hurriedly. Glancing around her to see if anybody was watching them. Fortunately, most of the people left on the street at this hour were paying no heed to the pair rushing through their streets.

"You want to head back? I can take it from here, Mandalorians can be a bit wary of outsiders, especially older ones." Sabine said warily as she spotted Hojin's drink stall. A pale orange Aqualish sat beside his stall on a rusty tin keg, his aging eyes cloudy and white. Behind the stall embedded into the canyon wall of Saqor was a nondescript metal door.

"Only if you think I should" Giz responded hesitantly, eyeing the large metal door nervously. "Every Mandalorian I've met has been mean and scary...except you! Of course..." she added, catching herself. "I mean, I can wait outside if you think that's best. Keep an eye out ya know?" She scratched her arm, looking around the desolate street.

Sabine sighed at Giz, not wanting her to be left outside in the dark. "Come on, I'm sure they won't be that scary." She said reassuringly.

The Aqualish watched as the two women approached with his cloudy white eyes. "Are you Hojin? We're looking to meet with an Old Teroch." Sabine asked the aging alien. He coughed and wheezed in response, pulling out a small remote from his coat pocket. Hojin grumbled into the comm and then a few moments later the metal door slid open with a hiss.

Sabine turned back to Giz as she walked into the hallway, bright light spilling out into the darkening canyon cityscape. "Come on!" She said nodding her head in the direction of the private enclave.

Giz waved nervously at Hojin as they walked past, the older alien grumbled to himself and shifted in his seat. The brightly lit hall, lined with fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, seemed still as they made their way down. At the end was another large metal door, a slit in the top slid open as they approached, and a disgruntled pair of eyes gazed out at them.

"What do you want, we're closed, if you want gear come back tomorow." He said. Giz's eyes darted back to the entry door anxiously.

"Cuyir gar Teroch? Ni cuy' Sabine aliit Wren." Sabine responded to the man behind the door, speaking in her native language to whom she suspected shared her heritage.

The small flap slapped closed and the durasteel enforced door creaked open. They stepped in to a large center room, the fruity smell of tihaar and crushed warra'se nuts wafting in the air. The room looked as if a small bar had been taken over by a military group, cases of armor pieces and heavy blaster rifles had been pushed up against the walls. Illicit data spikes lay strewn about the lone table off to the left side next to a set of Mandalorian armor, neatly hung on a rack. Brightly lit compared to the rest of the room, the bar was installed on the back wall and was stocked with all manner of taps and liquor bottles. Polished glasses lay neatly tucked away in the cabinets, the bar clearly closed up for the night.

The man closed the door behind the women and walked slowly around them to the table, gently leaning against it. He crossed his thick arms around his chest and looked at the pair disapprovingly. "Ni draar vaabir koor ti adate ni ganar draar kar'taylir." Teroch said in a gruff voice. He was an older man by Mandalorian standards, starting his early fifties, the gray hairs were interspersed with his thick brown beard. He wore simple clothes instead of the traditional Mandalorian armor, letting his deep leathery skin breath out in the open air.

"Te jatne ara at kar'taylir cuyir adol akaanir!" Sabine shouted at him. She grabbed a long metal fighting staff from one of the cases and threw it across the room at Teroch. His large hand snatched it out of the air with a small smirk.

Sabine walked up next to Giz and handed her a metal fighting rod. She looked at Giz's confused face and realized she had been talking in Mando'a to Teroch. They had been speaking the language without a second thought. "He doesn't know us so he's reluctant to help." Sabine gripped her own metal sparring staff tightly, "We just have to introduce ourselves in a way Mandalorians understand."

Giz looked from the staff in her hand to Sabine and then to Teroch, confused, her brain scrambled for a moment at the sudden situation before her. After a moment she darted forward, hurling the pole at the large man, and grabbed the tail of her headdress ripping it off in one fluid moment, the hairs on her head bristle and her ears flattened against her head as she flung herself foreword wrapping the ends of the silk around her hands and pulling the fabric taut between them. The larger man lunged with his pole, aiming center mass, while the agile Cathar slid to the side and wrapped the cloth around the end of the pole, pulling it to one side.

"Zo eta kar re chast a' ztrivo eta, vysa!" She growled in catharese, ducking under a follow up jab.

Sabine joined the fray with a shout, sliding her grip near the bottom of the metal staff and slashing at Teroch from a long distance. Teroch wrenched his staff from the twisted headscarf and slapped Sabine's vicious attacks, their metal rods clanging loudly as they met.

Giz pivoted her body as she crouched, moving around Teroch as he focused on parrying the whirl of attacks. She lunged up, throwing a hard elbow strike aimed at the old man's kidney and it connected fully with a dense smack. He groaned slightly, the blow had startled him if nothing else.

Teroch's thick boot planted itself square in Giz's chest, his reverse snap kick an immediate response to her attack. The force drove her upward and sent her tumbling across the room. "You are tenacious, aruetii!" Teroch shouted as Giz scrambled to catch her breath.

Sabine spun the staff about, bringing it down with force towards Teroch's shoulder, his own staff kicked up quickly to parry, as the staves were about to make contact Sabine rapidly switched the direction of the spin and brought the pole up under his arm, hitting him square in the ribs.

Giz gasped for air, smacking her chest. She turned and ran towards the nearby wall, jumping onto and then off of it, sailing over the dueling pair's heads. Her head scarf wrapped around Teroch's head, and as Giz landed she pulled down sharply. Sabine continued her flurry of strikes, but everything seemed to stop in one moment.

As the large Mandalorian fell foreword, he planted his foot sharply on the ground in front of him, throwing Giz off balance as he pushed sharply up on the headscarf, with Sabine's staff whizzing towards his opposite shoulder, he swiftly raised his hand and caught the end of the pole with a sickening smack.

Lifting up quickly with the scarf, Teroch threw Giz off balance. She stumbled towards the Mandalorian, struggling to regain her footing and wrench him to the ground, or at least immobilize him. His experienced eyes caught her faltering and he lashed out with his metal rod, striking her leg and her forearm and rupturing the capillaries underneath the skin with a sharp 'thwap thwap'! Teroch shifted his position and Giz tumbled past, catching her by the neck with his staff hand and twisting her body around. After she spun, Giz quickly regained her footing but as the older man had released her, he passed the metal rod swiftly across her throat. The implication was clear. Had this been a true engagement, she would have died in that moment.

Now momentarily free of entrapment, Teroch followed through from his blows against Giz and slammed the metal fighting staff into Sabine's torso repeatedly. Her armor the only protection against the rib shattering strikes. She coughed and sputtered before falling to her knees.

"Your form is good ad'ika, but your heart is not with you." Teroch released Sabine's staff and it clattered to the floor. "You fight like you have an illness."

That comment was ill received by Sabine, the notion of being weak, especially in a fight is an extreme offense for a Mandalorian. She snatched up the staff from the floor and whirled it around her body in a flourish.

Giz stumbled backwards, landing herself in a chair next to the table, stunned. She put a hand to her throat and rubbed her arm as the pair swung wildly at each other, the finesse and prowess of the two was astounding. Growing up she had always tussled with her siblings, and after joining the rebellion she had taken plenty of combat lessons, but the two in front of her were so substantially different, raised in life and death. After a moment catching her breath she stood and shook herself, picking up her original pole from where it had landed, her headscarf having been thrown to the other side of the room by Teroch after his near final blow on her. She watched the two continue their dance, staff clanging against staff, the renewed vigor in Sabine's stride was obvious, as was her furry at the large man's jibes. As Giz skirted around the combat looking for a solid opening, Sabine swirled her staff around her and brought it solidly into Teroch's shin, who let out a grunt as the shockwave rattled up his leg.

A loud clang rang out as Teroch countered with a solid horizontal strike to Sabine's helmet, using both his hands to drive the staff into her forehead. Her head snapped back and she stumbled backwards. Recovering quickly Sabine ducked low, whipping the metal staff in a crescent arc in an attempt to sweep the older Mandalorian's legs. His boot intercepted the rod and pushed it into the ground. "Focus!" Teroch shouted rapping his own rod against her helmet. "Where is your mind if not in this fight?" He scolded, swinging the staff upwards, connecting hard at the base of the chin and sending her clattering across the floor.

"Damn it!" Sabine pounded the floor in frustration. Her vision was blurry, and the edges of her sight were blacking out from the repeated head strikes.

Giz growled low, flinging the pole once more, aiming past the man's head, her claws emerged from their hiding place and her eyes turned to tiny slits, she pounced on the Mandalorian's back, sinking her claws deep into his tough skin, he grunted as he twisted and threw her off him, kicking upwards towards her stomach as she landed on all fours. The blow made contact, and as he retracted his leg back to a stable position he found himself tangled in the headdress once more, Giz hissed as she yanked fiercely upwards, causing him to topple backwards.

Sabine shook her head, regaining her composure and seeing the opening that Giz provided. She jumped up and slammed the hilt of her pole into Teroch's chin, forcing him to complete the fall he had been trying to pull himself out of.

The older man slammed onto the floor after the teeth clattering blow lifted him off his feet. Sabine and Giz stood ready, waiting for the old man's counter strike to come. Instead he let out a booming laugh. Wiping the blood from the split in his lip as he pushed himself up from the floor. "Haha! Jate, jate." He said mirthfully, panting and sweating after the intense fight. He tossed the sparring staff back to its corner of the room. "Now...I know you. Come, have some drinks with Old Teroch."

Sabine slipped her helmet off with an exhausted sigh, showing the ferocity of the pair's attacks on each other. Blood had sprayed from her mouth, splattering against the inside of her helmet and smeared across her cheek. It must have happened when Teroch's uppercut had exploded across her chin. Her eye was bruised purple, trailing back to her left temple. With sweat dripping down from her violet hair, leaving trails across her face. Without the heavy armor for protection the damage would have been unheard of for a simple sparring session.

Giz and Sabine limped over to the small bar and slumped into two of the four chairs that lined the counter section of Teroch's hidden enclave. He pushed two icy, frothy drinks towards the women and set a small bowl of warra'se in between them. The small crunchy nuts had a powerful aroma and concealed a spicy powder inside their shell. The trio drank for a long moment, refreshing and quenching after the sparring match.

"Now...Tell me what troubles you so, ad'ika." Teroch asked, the gruffness of a few minutes ago cast away and replaced with all the kindness of a warm-hearted uncle. Giz realized he must be, now at least. The intensity of the blood shared in combat had a strong feeling of camaraderie along with it.

Certainly Sabine felt this as she began to tell the older man all about her reasons for being on Saqor. Teroch listened intently at the bar, wiping off a dusty glass as she spoke. Giz was shocked at the emotional state of her companion as she spoke of her past. Her adrenaline allowing her expressions to flow out of her as she described her relationship with this Jedi they had been hunting for the past few months. She explained with reminiscing fondness of how they grew up together on the same ship, always fighting against the Empire together, building an inseparable partnership. To unmistakable sadness as she explained his sacrifice, and how he had been trapped somewhere or evading capture all these years.

"Ni cuy' echoy'la aikiyc ba'vodu Teroch. Gedet'ye. " Sabine implores, "I need some way to get access to an Imperial comm station but we have no good nav data out here."

Teroch furrowed his brow in thought, "Nav data is worth more than jewels out here in the Unknown. Smugglers have been known to kill their partners for the chance to steal their navigational computer." He sighed and moved into the back room of the bar, where all manner of secret data was kept. Teroch came out with a small holo card in hand. "I have the location of a few Imperial comm stations that have come up in the last decade or so. I can't guarantee that they'll still be around, but I'm sure you can make use of something left behind in the scraps."

He placed the holo card on the bar tabletop and activated it. "But to give you that kind of info I need you to do something for me in return." A blue image of a Rodian was projected up from the holo card. "I have a good relationship with the Blood Raptors, one of the local mercenary groups around this sector. This one, Gripp Jippeek, murdered one of their senior mercenaries and took off. Fled the region. Last word was that he went to the Outer Rim, making for Nar Shadaa." Teroch said, pointing at the Rodian. The large scar behind his ear the only definitive identifier from other Rodians. "He needs to find his way into the hands of the Blood Raptors or end up dead. Do that for me, and you get the location of one of those comm stations." The old Mandalorian finished.

Giz picked up the holo tape, studying the face intently. "I'm sure that's something we could do, although I'm not entirely sure if we have authorization to move out into the outer rim to find a bandit... that would be something for L-T to decide. Is there a way for us to get in contact with you at distance? Or would we need to return here to get the data on the comm stations?" She said, setting the holo tape back down on the table and taking a small handful of nuts, tossing one into her mouth.

"You can contact me with the information in that holo card. I am soon to leave this planet, but it will send your call to my ship." Teroch responded, "I give you this contract because I know you. If you leave this room with it, it will be on your honor to complete it. Republic or no Republic, understand?" Teroch warned. "I have a good relationship with the Blood Raptors, I would like to keep it that way."

Sabine snatched the holo card off the table, "We'll make sure it gets done ba'vodu." The only sure lead she'd found in over five years. There's no way she would let this slip through her fingers.

Sabine pushed herself off the stool and winced against the sharp pain in her side. Now that the adrenaline was fading the pulsating throb of her injuries were starting to grow. Giz helped Sabine balance herself, looping her arm over her shoulders.

"Aruetii." Teroch said softly to Giz, "You do not need to look outside for comparison, you are a sweet girl, and a fine warrior."

As they limped away Giz wondered just how connected the Mandalorians could really get to others through combat. How intimate the sparring sessions could be, and how strong the bonds were that are forged on the battlefield.

Old Teroch bid them farewell with a simple "K'oyacyi!" The Mandalorian way of saying goodbye, translated literally it meant 'Don't die'.

Lindmon sat on a crate just inside the hangar door, his blaster set out on his lap. He tapped on his wrist mounted device and checked the time. It had been nearly an hour since the last communication from Sabine and Giz, and he was starting to get worried.

Sulahaan tinkered away at the compressor on the underside of the crescent wing, the area around it was blackened from soot.

"Ssir, I don't think there is much we are going to be able to do about thisss compressor. Thing's shot worsse than a Bantha with a target painted on it."

Lindmon looked over at his pilot and sighed. "Alright then, at the very least give us a warning when we're coming out of hyperspace, maybe que in a tone for when we begin deceleration. Last thing we need is to be unprepared when she kicks next time."

Sulahaan popped out a quick salute and headed back up the ramp, passing Ashoka as he went. he bowed his head to her in respect and she returned the gesture as she made her way down to where the Lieutenant was waiting.

"You seem nervous Lieutenant. Are you worried about the rest of your crew?" Ahsoka asked calmly. The response of course was obvious, it was the fifth time he had checked the clock in a standard hour and nighttime had completely overtaken this side of Saqor. It's large native hookbats fluttering out of their caves looking for anything larger than a womprat to sink their teeth into.

"No not at all, I'm completely confident in their ability to take care of themselves." He said honestly, that didn't change the goosebumps on the back of his neck or the tap of his boot on the durasteel plated floor. A small crash followed by a series of choice curse words in a growling language and the squeal of a droid came from inside the ship, R3 rolled out with a coil of wire wrapped around his leg, screaming as Sulahaan chased behind him with a wrench and his fist raised. Shouting in Dat-an as he circled around the leg of the ship.

"Hey be nice to Reed!" Came a familiar shout from outside the hangar. Lindmon jumped to his feet as Sabine and Giz limped into the bay, both with huge smiles on their blood soaked faces.

"What in the hell happened to the two of you!" Lindmon shouted as they approached. The pair shared a look and broke out laughing. Sabine held up a holotape and waved it about.

Sabine smiled broadly at Lindmon, her teeth still red with blood, "Got a lead! We had to beat an old man with a stick to get it!" The two laughed raucously as they made their way up into the shuttle to wipe the blood of their faces and get some well placed bacta patches.


	5. Crash Course

A single tone filled the shuttle, followed moments later by a solid jolt as it came out of hyperspace, at this point nobody seemed to take notice of it anymore. It had been only a few days since they left Saqor, making their way back into charted space. Pathing was far easier coming back, such that Giz was able to find a shortcut between Saqor and Lothal, cutting their return time down by almost sixty percent.

Lindmon Crest stood at the holo-table with a glass of brandy, Sabine seated across from him, as they gazed at the data floating past about the rogue Rodian they had been sent to locate. Republic spies had been informed about the target, but very little had been learned over the past couple days. The search area was decreased from all of Nar Shadaa, to a section of undercity in the northern hemisphere the locals took to calling "The Grotto." A rough layout had been constructed and was now displayed prominently over the table, spinning slowly before the two.

"I feel like he would be less likely to frequent these bars, here and here." Sighed Crest, pointing at several locations highlighted in yellow. "Anybody with a whole mercenary band on their asses would be trying to stay as far from public as possible."

Ashoka sat off to the side, meditating, she looked up for a moment, eyes still closed. "Perhaps there is a Hutt, or similar king pin who may have him under service? Promised protection for promised protection?"

Sabine shook her head. "Intel suggests the Grotto is more or less self sufficient, handeling trade and so forth outside of Hutt control, it's possible though that a gang has set up shop there, knowing Shadaa it isn't outside the realm of possible."

Sulahaan's voice came over the loud speaker with a crackle. "Ssssir, we're out of hyperssspace now, scheduled for a brief refuel on Lothal, clearance already approved. Shouldn't be more than an hour before we can start making way for Hutt sspace"

Crest tapped a button on the console "Thanks Sul, I don't expect we have reason to disembark, should be a quick check and out."

Their stop went just as planned. The X-Wing patrols still guiding the above planetary traffic guided them in like clockwork. The planet was entering its winter months and the poles were slowly growing larger, the snow encroaching towards the bright Capital City. Instead of landing at the busy Capital City hangar bays they were directed to an alternate landing station. This one designed more for freighters and large shipping craft on layover. Since they weren't going to the planet to meet anyone, the refueling station was all that was needed. After an hour without incident they were off again to make for Hutt space.

"Tell me Lieutenant, what do you think of this situation?" Ahsoka asked Lindmon as they left the atmosphere. When Lindmon looked at her questioningly she continued, "I'm not surprised that the New Republic offered their help, even if it was unofficially. But I think we need to consider that there may be no good outcome from this mission. Even if we capture this fugitive alive, can you guarantee that these Blood Raptors won't torture and kill him once they have him?"

Lindmon pondered that for a long while, taking another sip from his drink. Finally he turned to her, leaning on the holotable.

"The situation isn't ideal, but we need that data. It's a hard decision, but turning him over, dead or alive, is the only way for us to get our hands on the comm station info, and the only lead we could get when it comes to finding Bridger. I can't say I haven't made similar decisions when I was with the Empire, but regardless, he's a criminal." He turned to Sabine. "That is what the old guy said right? Dead or alive? We don't really have the ability to transport a prisoner, but if we can get him to turn himself in I would prefer that to having to do their dirty work."

A tone filled the space again as the ship made ready to jump to hyperspace, each passenger braced themselves lackadaisically as the shuttle shuddered and lurched as it started the jump. R3 rolled in from the cockpit, chirped several times and bumped himself into the holotable.

"Yeah, Old Teroch said he was on the run for murder." Sabine replied, "Turning him in to the authorities won't be an option for us though. The contract is for us to bring him straight to the Blood Raptors, and I doubt he can be convinced to do that on his own."Ahsoka frowned, she didn't like the idea of hunting a man on the premise of revenge. Even if the information could be used to further their goals, seeking out this man and taking him to his certain death was unsettling. She gave a simple acknowledgment, but Lindmon could sense that she was not satisfied with the morality of the mission.

"We can continue this conversation in a few minutes, if you both don't mind, I need to send a report in to the Admiral." He said, eyeing Ashoka and her distaste. The two stood and retreated to the crew quarters, Sabine raised her glass as she exited and Ashoka nodded, the uncomfort clear on her face. Reed rolled around, chirping excitedly, as the table began it's connection to Republic high command.

"Lieutenant Lindmon Crest for Admiral Cest Sev'esa." A small chime emited from the table as the call began to connect.

After several long minutes the transparent blue image of Admiral Cest Sev'esa appeared from the holo table. "Lieutenant Crest. Since you've contacted me, I'm assuming this is about the vital information about the Imperial Remnant you reported to have." He said, smoothing the gray brown fur on his face. "I'd like to hear the details on what you have found."

Lindmon saluted as the image coalesced, straightening his jacket. "Yes sir, as the report states, we have a lead that is beneficial to both our primary mission, and the secondary search operation. A contact on Saqor has information about several Imperial comm outposts. The only roadblock is that in order to get said information he has asked us to retrieve a fugitive on Nar-Shadaa, of which information has been sent ahead to try and make that easier. From what I'm aware the data includes the locations of three separate comm stations, which is the primary reason I have seen fit to approve the detour. We also have a fair amount of navigational data in regards to travel between Saqor and Lothal, including hazards in the interim space."

"Nar-Shadaa is not a New Republic controlled system. Your landing permits might not be valid when you get there and you'll likely face resistance from their local government if they find out what you're up to." Admiral Cest Sev'esa explained. "The locations of the Imperial comm stations could be vital to the New Republic, that is...if your source can be counted on to provide the information once you apprehend this fugitive." Sev'esa said suspiciously. Doubting the reliability of some mercenary on the fringes of space.

He sat in the private briefing room quiet in thought, contemplating the possible scenarios that may present themselves in the future. "Once you get the locations we will need to present our findings to the higher ups. The Imperials will not leave such important targets undefended and they will likely have a blockade around them. We will need New Republic approval and support to try and take the comm stations." The Admiral said cautiously. He moved to switch off and end the holo communication, "But none of that matters unless that information is reliable. Once you get it, then we can start to make preparations for a strike." The holo projection switched off and Lindmon was left to his own thought.

Lindmon sat in the silence for a moment by himself. This mission was becoming more intensive than he had been anticipating. After a moment he pressed a button on the console and activated the overhead. "All crew, report to the den for conference." He said, setting his glass down on the counter behind him and straightening his jacket again as the crew filed in.

"Just got off comms with the Admiral. We may have some trouble getting landing permit on Nar-Shadaa if they realize we're Republic. The comm relays are a top priority, as such our excursion has been sanctified. Sabine, how confident are you in this Teroch character?"

"I trust him." Sabine said resolutely, "My honor is on the line for this contract. If I don't complete it, or it turns out he's lying, that could start a clan war between the Wren's and Awaud's."

Giz piped up from the side of the table, "Do you really think that could happen?" She asked, in awe of the idea of two Mandalorian clans fighting to the death.

"My relationship with my family isn't the best, but if something like that were to happen Tristan would convince my mother to rally the clan." Sabine answered, "Contracts between Mandalorians are less about business and more about respect between the clans involved. If ba'vodu didn't have what we wanted he wouldn't have lied about it, he would be risking too much."

Lindmon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I believe you. Then our first hurdle is figuring out how to get our landing permitted, getting there isn't going to do us any good if the Hutts don't want to let us land, their relationship with the Republic is already strained as is. Any suggestions?"

The crew sat in thought a moment, finally Sulahaan raised his hand.

"We could pose asss mercenaries, or bounty hunterss.." He said two of his eyes scanning one side of the room while the second pair scanned the other for reaction.

"Some of us might be able to pull that off better than others." Sabine mused, "If Reed can scramble our transponder code we might just look like an illicit transport shuttle. It would be more normal to them than a Republic escort craft, we would just need to worry about visual identifiers and getting past hanger security." Reed chirped and beeped in response, willing to do anything to assist in the subterfuge.

"Would a fresh paint job help that along? We can always play off that we stole it...not like our little ragtag bunch wouldn't fit the look of a small bounty hunter cadre." Lindmon pulled up an image of the T-6 on the holotable.

Sabine perked up at the notion of painting the T-6, "Well now you're speaking my language! I can have a new paint job on this boat in a few hours!" She said rising from the holo table and climbing up the stairs to retrieve her paint sprays. "I might not be able to do the whole ship in time but at least I can make us look like proper scoundrels."

"Well before you go jumping out the airlock, we need a name for this bird." Lindmon shouted up into the crew quarters, where already things were clattering around. Sabine re-emerged with an armful of different colored cans.

"Besides don't we have to make planet fall somewhere for you to do that?"

"Yeah...I guess." Sabine said sheepishly. Realizing that the sprays would burst and freeze if she tried to use them in space.

"Sul, drop us out of hyperspace and scan for any uninhabited planets we can make for." Lindmon said.

The tunnel of hyperspace faded and the stars of real space warpped back into view in the cockpit windows. Deep space is all they could see, no planets or asteroids were around for thousands of kilometers. It took Sulahaan and Giz about an hour after that to find a suitable planet, expanding the ship's sensors to scan for a habitable biomass that they could reach with relative ease.

Once they locked coordinates on the planet, Sulahaan swung the shuttle around, lining up the hyperspace route and pushed the ship into light speed once again. After a short ten minutes the lone planet overtook the viewscreen, a pearlescent blue marble glimmering in the light of two suns. Small white sand islands peppered the ocean that spread across the entire expanse of the planet.

Eroded rock spires breached the surface of the water in clusters, the tidal salt spray still attacking the ancient edifices, attempting to tear them down once and for all. On the larger islands, long thorned sea lizards rested underneath groupings of palms, attempting to escape from the sweltering tropical heat. Territorial muja monkeys hooted and shrieked as they clung to the tops of the palms, throwing the pits of sweet fruits at the larger and more ferocious sea lizards.

The vista was beautiful, and the crew admired the planet stunned for words for a peaceful few minutes. Until the plumes of smoke started to waft into the cabin. The compressor had blown again and was leaking smoke and fluid into the engine room.

Crest rushed to a nearby control panel, pressing several keys as the ship's automatic fire system engaged. "Giz! Get in there and clean that up! Sul get us down somewhere in a hurry!"

The Cathar rushed past, grabbing a fire extinguisher as she went. The shuttle took a sharp turn, a large landmass coming into view as smoke billowed out the back of the shuttle.

"Sabine! Get to the back and lower the ramp! We need this smoke out of the interior!" Crest shouted. Sabine rushed down from the crew quarters, putting her helmet on as she climbed down the ladder two rings at a time.

Lindmon pulled several respirators out of a cabinet near the control panel, sliding one down onto his face and running into the cockpit to give Sulahaan his. Ashoka rushed in from the crew quarters, seeing the two respirators left in Crests hand. She reached out and the two flew from his hands into hers and she threw one on, rushing to the engine room to give Giz hers. Lindmon looked down as the two masks jumped from his hand, confused for a moment. As she left he pulled himself together and took a seat in the co-pilot chair to help with the landing.

"I've got the ramp!" Sabine shouted as the shuttle broke through the atmosphere. She pulled the emergency control lever down just enough to crack open the ramp and let the smoke funnel out of the shuttle.

The shuttle rocketed towards the large landmass, streaking a long trail of smoke behind it. Sparse palms gave way to a dense forest nestled beneath a sharp cliff like mountain as the island grew closer.

Sulahaan twisted the shuttle's wing manifold and lowered the landing gear. The ship's repulser lift engines flared to life and hovered the craft above the beach. The forest becomes too dense for a large craft to land in. Sulahaan instead set the shuttle down next to the beach in a large patch of sparse grass that looked sturdy enough to hold the ship's weight. The ramp slapped into the white sand and the crew of the shuttle scrambled out onto the beach. Plumes of residual smoke dissipating in the air.

Giz was the last out of the shuttle, her fur covered in black soot, more so than usual. She jumped under the ramp and, with Reed's assistance, pulled off the paneling surrounding the compressor, she deftly spun bolts out of place and yanked the piece out of its coupling, the whole section sparked and sputtered as the piece came loose. She dropped it to the ground as the the hunk of metal, still red hot from its recent fit, sizzled on the sand.

"Well L-T, the things shot, I may be able to get her patched up enough to make one more jump, but that's likely the last one she has in her, Zrunri vi'van dom lêr'ulyora."

Crest ran his hand through his hair, staring at the still smoking ship. He looked around at the beach, then the jungle nearby.

"Well...shit. Alright, Giz, Reed, get the bird ready to fly, try and get it cleared out abit too, best you can. Sabine, suppose you have your chance to do some painting. Sul, Ahsoka, with me, I want us to get a quick survey, make sure perimeter is clear."

Sabine and Giz moved off to their own specific taskings, the former using her jet pack to flit to and frow around the shuttle, spraying paint wherever she felt it was appropriate, the standard orange coloring being covered by yellows, reds, and browns.

Sulahaan marched up the ramp, opening a locker just on the inside of the shuttle and pulled out a pair of E-11 blasters and a large axe. He hung the axe from a ring on his hip and slung the blaster around his shoulder, throwing the other to Crest. The large alien looked at Ashoka, who simply waved her hand and smiled. The small group headed towards the jungle's edge tentatively.

"We weren't able to get any real ssscanss done on the wildlife thanks to the issuesss so we're on our own in that regard." Sulahaan said, eyes scanning the line of trees.

"Worst we may encounter is some local predators, records show that no sentient life lives here, at least not that we know of."

The group set out to explore the island, wary of predators that could be hiding in the dense forest. As they walked through the soft white sand Ahsoka turned back to the shuttle, sharing a look with Sabine. They had both seen this before, the uncanny luck and confidence, a natural sense for danger. Sabine had even noticed Crest's unconscious attempts to sense her emotions. An almost imperceptible prickling of the skin that she would have dismissed as a passing chill had she not been so familiar with the feeling.

Sabine removed her helmet and flashed a worried look at Ahsoka, her brow furrowed in concern. It was one thing to be Force sensitive, but to make someone aware of it. To open their mind to the possibilities. Could expose them to all of the tidal waves that the Force was capable of. The dangers that came with that great power, and especially, the person's own threat to themselves.

Her old friend Kanan had run from it, afraid of it's consequences, for so many years. She had known him for years before he revealed that secret, later accepting it's responsibilities and becoming a great Jedi. It was Ezra's experience with the Force that made her realize the difficulties that came with it's power. His strong emotions towards his friends, his family, urged him to seek more power. The jealousy, the fear, urging him to get stronger without regard, and he used those abilities to dominate the minds of his enemies, controlling them against their will. Murdering them.

Ezra had described it as a hunger, a thirst for power that never relented. He would wake in the middle of the night to it calling for him. Whispering of impending threats. It was cold and suffocating, like a spice addict clawing at their skin until they could experience the next release.

Ahsoka said nothing to reassure Sabine's worried expression. She simply turned back to Crest and Sulahaan, following them from behind. Whatever dangers Lindmon encountered, all she could do was try to prepare him for it...and hope.

With a simple hand motion Lindmon urged the small group forward into the dense jungle, the trees overhead shifting in a gentle ocean breeze. Ferns parted way as they made their way through. The jungle lay silent, unnaturally so. The only sound was the shifting leaves overhead.

"Well this is an unsettling island isn't it..." Lindmon said quietly, blaster at the ready. "We knew it was uninhabited but usually there's some kind of animal noises."

Sulahaan spoke up as he read from a small screen device connected to the ship's computer. "The initial scan shows an abundance of mammalian creaturesss as well as reptiles. Not to mention how dense the population of the ocean is with it's size." He sniffed the air, his keen reptilian nose examining the light scents on the wind.

"It looks like just this particular island is strangely empty."Ahsoka commented from behind the two, jumping off a large tree root and landing softly beside them. "The wildlife may be avoiding this place intentionally." She said walking close to Crest. "There seems to be a strong vergence in the Force on this island, the animals may be sensitive to it."

Lindmon shouldered his blaster, continuing to move into the dense brush.

"What does that mean exactly?" He asked, pushing a large frond out of the way and holding it back as the others made their way past him.

"Why would the wildlife just ignore a whole section of habitable environment?"

Sulahaan grunted as he stepped over a large fallen tree, landing unceremoniously in a large mud puddle on the other side.

"I don't blame them." He said, shaking the mud off his boots. "The whole island issss heavy. The air, the treess, something about it just tastesss funny."

"The Force can have a strong influence on its environment, it's not odd for the wildlife to feed off that energy. Or avoid it if it's something that makes them uncomfortable." Ahsoka said, keeping pace behind them as they worked through the brush.

"This Force thing sounds even more confusing the more you describe it." Crest sighed, watching as Sulahaan pulled out his Vibro-axe and chopped at several very large branches in their path. "Is it just me or is this are getting more and more dense as we go in." Crest finished just as the axe cleaved it's way through the last branch, just on the other side was a huge clearing, as they stepped inside and looked up, the foliage seemed to create a massive cavern like structure over their heads, the top of the canopy streatching over the entirety of the clearing.

In the center of the clearing several stones sat together in a small cluster around a larger central stone, standing about thirty feet tall. As they approached cautiously, the outline of runes and designs carved deep into the stone with precision become visible.

"Well...that's...unexpected." Sulahaan grunted, all four eyes wide.

The dark stones were eroded and cracked with the passing of time. Ahsoka touched one of the stones in the circle, caressing the ancient craftsmanship. "Unexpected maybe, but not impossible." She pointed at the design carved into the ground, the roots partially crawling across the large circular image. "This design is similar to the ones that used to guard the old Jedi Temples. An old relic of a time gone by." She explained as she continued to admire the cavernous entrance, walking up it's steps in awe of the sheer age that it must be.

The crew stepped wearily into the large central room, it's round circular shape dotted with alcoves carved into the walls around them. In the center was a large plynth of carved stone with intricate designs. On the far wall, a low doorway sat, dark inside. The group moved around the room slowely, Ashoka ran her fingers along the walls, inspecting the designs and engravings.

"The door is a sstairwell, leads down, seemss to spiral." Sulahaan said, poking his head into the doorway.

Crest stopped in front of the Plynth, examining it. "I can't tell if there was supposed to be something set here but there's a small impression on this." He ran his hand along the object and as his hand reached the center of the plynth he pulled away sharply, gasping.

"What the, that was.." He said, staring at the plynth confused.

Ashoka moved to his side. "What is it? What did you feel?" She said, looking at him expectantly.

"It was like I could feel the whole structure, it's massive..." Crest said quietly.

The words echoed inside the chamber, trailing down the spiral staircase. Carved stone worn from many hundreds of years gone by, the deep entrance pulled Lindmon's attention, demanding his curiosity, the chill of the cave wafting up to him. The skin on his body shivered at it's touch.

"I'm beginning to realize why this island may have been abandoned." Ahsoka's words reverberated in the chamber as she realized the nature of the temple. Just as Lindmon turned his head to respond to Ahsoka, from the corner of his eye a deep black cloak fluttered out of sight. It fleed down the stairs into the depths of the temple, the soft echos of feet trailing behind. "Lieutenant!" Ahsoka cried out, stopping Lindmon from rushing down the stairs after the figure. She stood in the center of the room, stretching her arm out to keep Sulahaan from following Lindmon. "Your weapons. You won't need them."

The thought didn't even clear his mind before he had thrown his blaster behind him and rushed down after the figure, the faint echo of a hissing voice calling out to him from behind bounced off the walls and faded rapidly. As he reached the bottom of the stairs he realized the others hadn't followed him, he turned to shout up to them but came face to face with a stone wall. He pressed on it, searching for any hidden levers but finding none. He turned back to the darkened room before him, the intricate details in the walls glowing a faint blue, illuminating the small space.

 _I won't let him lose his way. Not like I did._

Lindmon heard the distant voices reverberating throughout his head. He chased the cloaked figure down the corridors of the temple, passing the decades old sleeping chambers and forever unused sparring dojo's. Each corner he turned showed the mysterious figure slipping out of view. A dense fog curled around Lindmon's feet in wisps as he moved through the halls.

... _Bring balance to the Force. Not leave it in darkness._

The blue glow emanating from the walls were all that kept Lindmon's vision from going entirely black. His movements were slow, as if he was trapped in a chamber of ice water.

 _I killed them all. They're dead. Every single one of them._

 _It's too late for me now..._

The figure stopped at the last chamber, a large altar room supported by cracking columns that struggled to hold up the aging ceiling. The mist was unrelenting in this part of the temple, it whiped around the dark cloak that Lindmon had been following. Gusting around the room like a silent tempest.

"Why have you come to this place." The figure asked, his voice raspy and labored.

Lindmon looked around the room, scanning for any possible exit in case he had to make a hasty retreat but as before the door behind him had vanished.

"My crew and I had to set down in a hurry due to a compressor failure, the other two up stairs, are they ok?" Lindmon held his ground in front of the hooded figure.

Lindmon was knocked back off his feet, a wave of energy slamming into his chest. He reflexively tried to recover and pick himself up from the ground but the wave continued to press down on him. It held him against the floor threateningly, preventing him from getting up. For several moments the constant cascade of telekinetic force kept Lindmon locked in place before suddenly releasing him."Leave this place. You don't belong here." The raspy voice demanded, looking slightly towards Lindmon, showing a portion of his face twisted into a vicious scowl.

Knocked off his feet and out of breath, Crest stood back up shakily.

"If you have any intention of harming my crew I will have to stop you, I'm not leaving until I'm sure they will be safe.

The tingle moved down his neck and into his back and arms, standing firm was the only thing he could think to do, if it meant he had to take the brunt of whatever this creature had to give he would. He looked around the room for anything he could use to defend himself, greeted only by the engraved walls and thick fog covering the floor.

"How do you expect to stop me?" The voice thundered inside the chamber. The man turned fully to face Lindmon. Black metal stretched across his face, searing into his skin. The twisted mask split the man's image, for a moment fully overtaking his visage to resemble a black skull, it's eyes gleaming with hunger and fury. The mask struggled to dominate his persona, flickering underneath the mans hood like a faulty holo recording. He reaches towards his belt and grasped the lightsaber affixed there. "You're weak. Just like I was." The saber ignited in his hand. The blade extended with a 'snap-hiss', illuminating the altar room in its scarlet fury. It thrummed and growled like a starving rancor within the chamber.

"However I can." Lindmon said, staring down the dull black sockets glaring out at him. "No harm will come to my crew." As the words left his mouth the tingling moved from his arms and back into his legs, the mist around his feet swirled and parted. On the floor in front of him was an old, dusty metal cylinder, plain in construction but familiar. He reached down and picked it up quickly, pressing the button as the figure darted forward. From the hilt a bright white blade extended, raising up and making contact with the red blade of his opponent, the face inches away from his own, snarling at him.

"There is no hope for you, your friends will fall one by one whether you try to stop it or not, each a worse fate than before. You will fail them, and in so doing fail yourself." The grim creature hissed, pushing off, blades flashing as they separated.

"Impressive. Now release your anger. Only your hatred can hope to destroy me." The man growled, his mask flicking over his face like a glare in the sun. It twisted his voice. Made it seethe as he spoke.

Lindmon rushed at the black cloaked man, raising his saber high and cleaving it down at his foe. The Black Skull lifted up his saber and swatted away Lindmon's white blade. Taken aback Lindmon shifted his blade for a return strike, not wanting to relent or give the upper hand. The Black Skull smashed his blade into Lindmon's strike, empowering his attack with the Force. The strength of the Black Skull's strike was overwhelming, dropping Lindmon to his knee as he struggled against their locked sabers. Pushing upwards relentlessly against the scarlet blade to keep from being cleaved in half.

"Getting angry means you make mistakes." Lindmon hissed through clenched teeth, twisting his body to throw the other saber off his own, his Imperial combat training kicking into gear. He took several steps away from the sinister figure, readying himself for another blow.

 _He swings hard, which means redirection is your best bet Crest. If he swings hard he will fall harder_. Lindmon positioned his saber in front of him, both hands on the hilt to keep his hold against the power of his opponent.

The Black Skull charged towards Lindmon, smashing his saber against the white blade. Lindmon parried and blocked the attacks, shifting his feet behind and backwards quickly to keep from being slammed into the ground. From each impact he could feel a tremor of Force exploding off the Black Skull's red blade, slamming into the walls of the alter room. With each swing sections of columns were blown away with explosive force. Scattering across the ground, pushing away the fog in deep plumes. Underneath the separated fog, Lindmon could see the desiccated corpses of ancient worshippers. Their hands clasped together for all eternity as they prayed to their lost deities forever.

Lindmon's hands were red and blistering, the strikes stinging his hands as his saber struggled against the relentless power. The Black Skull forced Lindmon to retreat to the corridor at the back of the room, swinging and parrying as they went. Their blades locked together and separated in a desperate struggle against darkness. The Black Skull's wide and powerful swings carving deep heat scars against the walls of the corridor, dragging sparks and chunks of stone in his blades wake.

As the blows rained down one after the other, the tingeling sensation spread through Lindmon's entire body, as it reached his fingers and finally his toes, filling him, it pulsated. Matching time with his own heartbeat making him hyper aware of his own pulse. During one of the few lulls in the hail of saber strikes he took a few breaths. The world around him becoming crisp as he forced himself to control his own body. Time seemed to slow around him, the arc of each swing becoming more clear. With time the strikes began to slide off his own blade as he moved, his own blade flashing white as it flowed around him. The pair come out of the hall into a large circular room, a high ceiling arced over their heads as the sound of clashing lightsabers rang through the room. Markings along the wall emitted red and blue lights, leaving the room shrouded in a purple haze as the light mingled with the fog. The lights pulsated and seemed to move with the pair, the half of the room black skull occupied throbbing a dark scarlet while the side Lindmon stood on pulsed slowly a deep sapphire.

Sweat beaded across his forehead and down his arms as he got the chance to breath, retreating to one side of the room. The blade in his hand stuttered, the blade flashing before solidifying once more. He took his position once more, ready for the next flurry to come.

 _Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter._

The Black Skull twisted his saber in his hands, gripping it tightly in anger. "The Force is strong in you, but you have yet to realize it's power."

He stepped forward towards Lindmon slowly, the mist parting as his cloak flowed around him. Lindmon shifted in preparation, bringing his guard up for the next barrage of swings. Instead his breath was lifted from his body, a whimper escaped his lips and the saber he had been holding clattered to the floor beneath the mist.

"Your feelings are strong for your friends. I was once like you, my passions made me stronger. Gave me purpose."

Lindmon clawed at his throat, looking for the hand clutching his neck, to pull it away for a breath of air. The Black Skull was choking him from a distance, using his rage to suffocate his opponent. He wrenched his arm back and Lindmon was thrown towards Black Skull, his feet scraping quickly across the floor.

The telekinetic suffocation halted as Lindmon was pulled through the air. He could only get a small breath before the Black Skull clamped a steel grip around his throat, lifting Lindmon off the ground as he struggled and fought against the cloaked arm, pounding at the man in a desperate chance of escape.

 _I sense much fear in you. Fear is the path to the dark side_.

"Look at what I have become!" The Black Skull roared into Lindmon's face. At this close distance he could see the monster under the hood, the deep tissue scaring. Beneath the skin where there should be blood, was instead replaced with twisted metal and circuitry. His voice raspy and choking, every breath a struggle against his corrupt organs. The hall reverberated with the echoed screams of hatred, tormented souls screeching out so loudly that it displaced the stagnate air in the chamber.

Just as Lindmon's vision began to fade, the lack of air and strangulation tearing his consciousness away. The howls of terror ceased and his lungs filled with the dry air once again. He looked around to an empty room, the lights of the chamber dark and useless. The form of the Black Skull vanished to nothingness.

Falling to his knees in the now dark, dust filled room, Lindmon stared at the floor where the figure once stood. The last several minutes whirling through his mind, leaving him in a fog. The pulsing was gone, as were the glowing runes and fog, all that remained was him, the room, and the lightsaber, laying on the floor behind him where he had dropped it. After a long moment he stood and walked over to it, picking it up and carrying it back to the entrance of the room. As he climbed the steps, they began to circle, which he hadn't remembered them doing during his struggle. As he reached the upper landing he came out into the first room, Ahsoka and Sulahaan standing much in the same position as they had been when he left, as if only moments had passed.

"How are you feeling? Are you alright?" Ahsoka asked as she saw the state Lindmon was in. His tattered and torn cloths, the red stinging blisters on his hands still aching. She guided him to a small overturned pew and sat with him. "Tell me what happened." She asked gently.

Lindmon sat quietly for several minutes, looking around the room slowly. Finally he took a deep breath and laughed, quietly, nervously.

"I chased after that cloaked figure down into the temple, followed him for awhile from room to room, always just a little to fast for me. I...heard...things. Voices? They were saying things I couldn't understand, or make sense of. Loss, fear, anger.. I finally caught up, it was a small alter room and he turned to me. He had cybernetics, on the inside of his face, half his face, and it kept...dissolving? I guess? Into this black skull. He talked about using my anger, called me weak, told me you all would die and it would be my fault... and then he attacked me. I got that tingeling thing, the one I get, what I had always thought was just my instincts but now... I'm not sure."

He took another deep breath before continuing. Pulling the hilt out and holding it up to her.

"I found this, it was just laying there on the floor in front of me. His attacks were so strong, just hammer after hammer and with each attack it was like the force of his anger blew past me... I was able to keep myself calm enough to focus but the pounding was so loud..in my head, all around us. He pushed me deeper into the temple where a huge room was, I think it was a dueling ring, and then I couldn't breath, like a hand was gripped around my throat. He pulled me towards him and screamed at me..'Look at what I have become'. There was so much rage, just overpowering rage..and then he was gone, and I came back here.."

He leaned back on the stone bench, leaning his still perspiring back on the cool stone wall and closed his eyes, behind his lids he could still see the red of the saber against the smooth, grinning, black skull.

"This temple was built on top of a vergence in the Force, a gathering of energy. What you experienced was a vision, a powerful one. From what you described, I can only imagine who you fought was something like a revenant, left behind like a scar in the Force." Ahsoka explained, gently resting her hand on Lindmon's shoulder. "These feelings you keep having, your instincts, your sense of danger. It's your strong connection to the Force that gives you these strengths. The Force is strong in many people, my master had it, I have it...and you have that power too."

"After what just happened down there, I would believe anything at this point...but looking back you're right, all through flight training I was able to figure out where the fire would come from before it was shot, enough at least to get out of the way. I could tell where I needed to shoot to land the hit, knew where I needed to be and not be, 'whatever feels right, I just do that' was my motto. Hell I think I said the same thing to Sabine not even a couple weeks ago... what do I do now? It's like somebody said there was a fairie behind a door, and it's all jokes and jibes until they open it up and there it is... the Force, Jedi, it's more than just stories and vague intel... even you, I heard you, and I knew that you felt strongly about it but to actually...feel it, fight it...what now?" Lindmon kept his eyes closed until he finished talking, leaning foreword to rub his temples, the red sparks dancing behind his lids, the flash inside gaping holes in a black head. He opened his eyes finally, holding the lightsaber in front of him and pressing the switch. It flashed to life, glowing a soft white light before sputtering and deactivating.

Ahsoka watched as the saber flicked out of existence, a useless hilt left behind. "What we do now is teach you the ways of the Force. How to live in harmony with it, it's balance." She said simply, "I can't teach you how to be a Jedi, but I can show you how to use the Force well enough to defend yourself." Ahsoka rose and walked towards the entrance of the temple. "You might want to keep that lightsaber. It may never work again but it could help teach you how to make another in the future. Lightsaber schematics have nearly been erased from existence, it will be almost impossible for you to find one. The lightsaber is the heart of a Jedi, if you're to go down that path, you will have to know how to make one of your own."

Lindmon let out a chuckle, waving his hand. "I'm no Jedi, I don't even know where to start." He stood and stretched, his arms sore from the recent bout. "What do you think of this Sul?" He looked over to the large alien who, up until now, had been standing next to the altar watching.

"Thisssss is a lot to take in sir... I'm not sure I have much to add, but on my planet we do not look at such things as choicess. If thisss is something you were born for, then it is the path you take, and every choice until now has brought you here." His four eyes looked into Lindmon's with a certain force, the conviction of his words passing to his superior. "It seemsssss you've been chosen for thiss." He finished, tossing the blaster into Lindmon's lap.

"Suppose you're right...we'll Ahsoka, where do we begin?" Crest said looking at her with so many questions in his eyes.

"We can start that another day Lieutenant. For now let's get back to the ship, you look exhausted." Ahsoka said sympathetically, gesturing to Lindmon's tattered jacket and blistered hands.

"And for fucks sake I am. Sul give me a hand." As Sul went to help Lindmon up, the latter clipped The now dead lightsaber to his hip, shaking as he stood, the small group made their way out of the temple, slowly making their way back to the opening of the forest wall they created. As they passed back through the thick brush Ahsoka turned back to look once more at the temple, but what she saw from the tree line was more trees, the temple seeming to have vanished when its duty had been fulfilled, she smiled to herself as she turned back to follow the other two.

The way back to the shuttle was short, and as they came through the dense forest growths they found the ship had gone through some fairly huge changes. Sabine still flitted here and there around the shuttle, adding finishing touches to the hull. Down the beach, Giz and Reed sat in the sand, the former splashing her feet in the water each time it came up the shore.

"Welcome back Lieutenant!" Sabine yelled from atop the shuttle. The shuttle had been almost completely repainted with the limited amount of paints she had brought with her. Dark black lines bordered the shuttle's wings and cockpit, with the majority of the ship covered in an overlapping desert camouflage. A massive hookbat was emblazoned on the crest of the ship, it's influence obviously drawn from the previous world they had visited. "I give you, the _Saqorian Zephyr_!!!" Sabine said triumphantly, landing in the sand next to him. "Does it look pirate-y enough for you?"

"Yea it looks great, good job." Lindmon said, barely glancing at the shuttle. Hobbling along, only keeping up right because of the shoulder Sulahaan had given him. They shuffled past her and she looked quizzically from Lindmon to Ahsoka.

"Um...something we should be worried about?" She said. Ahsoka simply waved her hand, and smiled.

"If you may recall the temple on Lothal, and Ezra's foray into it, he will be fine. The good news is, I have a feeling that our worries were for naught." Ahsoka watched as the pair stumbled up the ramp and into the ship. Giz had turned around as they entered and ran up to Sabine and Ahsoka, looking back at the pair and pointed her thumb at them over her shoulder.

"Should I tell him now that the compressor is ready to go or..." she trailed off. Ahsoka shook her head.

"Let him rest. In the mean time, let's start making our way to Nar-Shadaa." As Giz and Sabine boarded the shuttle, passing concerned glances to each other, Ahsoka stopped at the foot of the ramp, turning back to the island as the others passed into the entry bay.

"Master Obi-Wan... how would you handle this..." she gazed out at the beach, thinking for a moment before shaking her head and boarding the shuttle.


	6. Dirty Deal

(Any huttese in this chapter not followed immediately by translation will be found at the bottom, In order of dialogue)

The newly christened _Saqorian Zephyr_ burst out of the warp. It's hyperdrive compressor sputtering and coughing before going silent. A massive sickly green planet could be seen rotating slowly like a diseased animal. It's moon, Nar Shadaa swung around the sickly planet, tidally locked with its neighbor. Bright orange lights burst out from the surface, the moon entirely overgrown with a sprawling city in a manner similar to Coruscant. Unlike that planet, where only the lower levels are less than fortunate, the cities of Nar Shadaa were infested and rundown with crime reaching to the very highest of spires. The pollution and filth permeated every level of the city, a thick smog covered the moon as if the city itself was churning massive plumes of hookah smoke.

Ancient refueling spires and loading docks stretched high into the atmosphere. The biggest city for illegal trade and imports, and one of the major Hutt networks. The vertical cities stacked on top of each other relied almost entirely on the trade of goods. Anything illegal in other systems could be bought and sold on Nar Shaddaa, and many young smugglers, pirates and criminals started their careers on the Smugglers' Moon. Various sections of Nar Shaddaa were controlled by the Hutts and other criminal organizations. Corporations that wanted to avoid regulations that prohibited testing often developed many dangerous and even valuable technology within the lower levels of the cities on the moon.

Sitting behind the Co-pilot seat, Lindmon flipped the switch Giz had rigged, switching the ship's IF code from republic shuttle to their new bounty hunter code. As the shuttle zoomed closer to the glowing orange moon several shuttles launched, moving into intercept formation. Sulahaan presses a few keys, emitting the new landing codes down to the traffic control below. After a few tense moments the fighters broke off, moving to escort positions and began descent patterns. The _Zephyr_ passed over a sprawling City, bright holoprojections shining out messages and advertisements for drinks and weapons. The smoke filling the air filtered past the cockpit like a blanket. Finally the fighters flew off, as the shuttle made its way into the large hangar bay it had been directed to.

"Well it worked." Sulahaan grunted, both pleased and exasperated. He set the shuttle down gently in the middle of the hangar before unclipping himself from his seat.

The _Saqorian Zephyr_ flew between the tall spires of Nar-Shaddaa. The bright glare of the entertainment signs bursting into the cockpit viewscreen. A light rain began to rap at the glass of the shuttle, the cool moisture picking up the grime and oils on the walkways of the city, pulling streaks of filth into the steaming drains. The _Zephyr_ landed on an open air port, filled with empty boxes and discarded maintenance droids.

Lindmon did the same, looking out into the dark grey of the hangar, the walls lined with rust and stains from countless shuttles coming and going.

"Let's just try getting in and out. Gonna want you here with the ship again, yet another planet where I don't trust the hangar security to keep unwanted eyes out." Lindmon moved into the main room, stepping up to the holotable. Ahsoka, Sabine, Giz, and Reed were already standing around the table, mulling over a map of the Grotto. Ahsoka looked up at Lindmon as he entered and smiled

"How are you feeling today?" She asked gently. Over the past day and a half of travel she had been sitting with him, telling him of the Force, how it worked, how to use it, and what to be weary of in keeping away from the allure of the dark side. Throughout the conversations Lindmon had sat, quietly analyzing her words. During this time the pair had worked together in disassembling and reassembling the lightsaber Lindmon had found, stripping it down and documenting the inner workings to better understand the piece of ancient tech. A key difference Ahsoka had noted in its construction, the clear Kyber crystal, which Ahsoka had shown Lindmon in her own lightsaber, was the product of healing a bleeding crystal. Something only done a handful of times but a point she said provided some context to the history of this particular blade.

"When a practicionor of the dark side attempts to use a lightsaber they must first force their will on it, as the crystals don't bend easily to the whims of the dark side, this causes the crystal to bleed and turn red, but a Jedi or other light side user can heal the crystal and in so doing it turns white. So we know that this happened to yours, when and how though is a mystery we may never uncover." She had said.

Lindmon shrugged at Ahsoka, smiling tiredly. "I'm adapting I think. Tried that meditation thing you suggested before bed last night but I'm not sure I got anywhere with it."

"It will get easier." Ahsoka explained, "Meditation is a way to deepen your connection to the Force, immerse yourself in the harmony of the galaxy around you. Try to listen to the movements of the Force, instead of trying to get something out of it."

Lindmon shook his head. "It's hard to understand until it happens, like trying teach a toddler how a blaster functions."

Giz chuckled, tapping on the console in the table and zooming the image. "The irony being when I was a kit I had already broken down and reassembled my Pop's DC-15A" Sabine punched her in the shoulder playfully, grinning.

"Well of course you did you nerd." She laughed, turning to Lindmon. "It took Ezra a while to figure it out too, but you have a good teacher, arguably better than Kanan at this point, you will get it in time. Now for business, we've collected all the data and our best bet right now is this shop in the northern sector of the Grotto, intel says our target frequents the location for purchases so it could be that he's changed his name and is working with the local gang, The Red Scar. We think he helps secure weapons for them, they operate fairly heavily in the area and may not take to kindly to our snooping so we should go prepared for a fight."

Lindmon ran his hand through his hair, looking at the image.

"Lieutenant, while we're here we need to find a way to get a new compressor." Giz said. "We were lucky to get to Nar-Shadaa without vaporizing, and it won't happen again."

Lindmon tapped on Reed, the latter chirping. "We can set Reed on finding a good piece, likely have to get it purchased from one of the less grimey portions of Shadaa and have it sent over. Hop on that for us, we're gonna need it delivered in a hurry, use my personal account for now, I can get a reimbursement later. Make sure the paperwork and receipt are in order."

"If you think he'll be alright in this kind of neighborhood." Sabine said cautiously, hoping the R3 astromech wouldn't end up mugged on the street and scrapped for parts. "As far as Jippeek goes, we've got it down to the Grotto but that's still a huge area to cover, especially since he's on the run."

Reed beeped and trilled confidently, several utility arms popping out at once, showing of his limited arsenal. "Seems he will be ok. As far as the target goes we have the arms dealer as a starting point so it's better than nothing. Go get kitted up, whatever you need, let's hope it doesn't go south but be ready if it does." Lindmon turned to Sulahaan and clapped him on the shoulder. "Ships yours until we get back, we will radio if we're coming in hot so make sure the bird's ready to fly if that's the case."

Sulahaan grunted softly, "We won't get far without being able to jump into hyperssspace. Lets hope Reed gets the compressor before we need a fast exit."

Sabine geared up in her usual combat suite, a pair of Westar-35's, the silver and black lightsaber hilt she kept on her belt and several pouches full of extra blaster charges and explosives. She took a minute to spray over her right shoulder pad, covering up the symbol of the Rebellion. Walking down the ramp she donned her helmet, in a place this lawless a firefight can break out without warning. Being prepared was the only way to stay alive out here.

Giz put on her usual headdress and oil stained pants and coat, strapped with her own pair of DL-44s. She rushed to catch up with Sabine and gave her a playful shove as she skipped backwards down the ramp. Lindmon followed the pair down, dressed in his long black coat, his E-11 strapped underneath. On his hip hung the old lightsaber, Ahsoka had made a point to him to get used to having it there, despite it's nonfunctionality. Reed beeped as he passed by them, whizzing out of the hangar and down a side hallway then out of sight.

The group walked out from the hanger bay and into the city, a light rain spattering on the sides of the building's windows. The cool moisture picking up the grime and oils on the walkways.

"There's some of the Red Scar group." Sabine said, subtly nodding towards a group of nasty looking gangsters. They had pulled over a civilian speeder and were in the process of tearing out the valuables from both the speeder and the driver.

"They seem like a nice bunch of gentleman." Giz said subtly, stepping to the other side of Sabine further from the rowdy bunch, who now were pushing the driver from member to member in a circle, laughing.

"Nothing we can do unfortunately, let's just get down to the Grotto as quick as we can." Lindmon said, keeping the group in his peripherals as they passed.

The group continues down the street, passing by dirty aliens covered in rags begging for credits and sour looking thugs hiding in alleyways, measuring them up as they passed. The streets took sharp turns, the walkways becoming dirtier and dirtier as they passed further into the deeper parts of the city. The rain overhead picked up, large droplets smacking against the sides of buildings and panes of glass overhead.

Sabine watched as the Red Scar gangsters moved against the man all at once, pushing him against the parked speeder. They clenched their fists and hammered blows into the poor victim's head, screaming threats about missed payments. Her fingers itched above the triggers of her blasters, willing her to interfere. The victim's head bounced off the hood of the speeder one last time and he slumped to the floor. A beaten mess, sputtering blood across the ground. His consciousness ripped away by the gangster's attacks. The Red Scar thugs kicked the unconscious man one last time, then turned to leave, their pockets filled with his wealth.

Tearing herself away from the scene, Sabine sighed and muttered something under her breath. The Lieutenant was right, they had to make for the Grotto. The sooner they can get this runaway the better.

The streets become more and more clumped with trash and beggars, the group filed through slowely, reaching a large intersection where the space opened up. Rain pelted the street as the residents traveledfrom one place to another. Street lights and holosigns few and far between leaving allies shaded in darkness. Lindmon leaned over to Ahsoka, brushing his now wet hair from his face. "Is that overwhelming sense of dread a Force thing or just me?" He asked, placing a hand on his blaster hanging at his waist.

"The violence in the city is certainly causing a tremor in the Force. You need to control your emotions, center yourself and focus on what's around you." Ahsoka explained, closing her eyes and breathing slowly. "Be present in the moment. Let the Force connect you to your environment and make you more aware of what is a threat to you, and what is the natural cycle of your surroundings." She finished, opening her eyes and looking to Lindmon expectantly.

Lindmon sighed and closed his eyes, hearing the thudding of his own heartbeat. He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate, after a moment his heartbeat quieted and the tingeling sensation creeped down his neck and into his chest. Despite the rain he felt a wave pass through him, ebbing and flowing, when he opened his eyes he could feel the ripple of that wave emanating from the life forms around him. To his left, Giz and Sabine looked at him, Giz concernedly and Sabine's expression inscrutable through the visor of her helmet. To his right, and the source of the latest wave was Ahsoka, looking at him intently, and behind them, he turned around to see the small cadre of Red Scar members sauntering down the street towards them. They laughed at each other as they moved down the street, pushing over the homeless beggars as they went.

"We should move." He said hushedly.

Tilting her head over her shoulder, Sabine spotted the group of Red Scar gangsters. Her blasters were unclipped in an instant, with a flick they twirled out of their holsters. "I don't move." She said angrily, her helmet scanning the double red slash mark logos of the Red Scar gang. Assigning them as threats on Sabine's targeting system.

Lindmon grabbed Sabine's arm and pulled her behind him, turning around, hand on her pistol. "I know, they're scum, but we have a job to do. Settle down, and move, that's an order." She pulled away and re-holstered her guns, staring imperceptible daggers at Lindmon through her helmet. The small group shifted off to the side, sidling into a nearby alleyway, pressing hard against the walls. The tension from Sabine falling off her in sheets as the group passed, stopping to harass yet another beggar as they sauntered down the street. Finally the group left their line of site and the four come out of the shadows, stepping back into the street.

"I need you to take a moment and understand, if we get into a firefight before we find this damned Rodian we may not find him, then we're out of our data and back at square one, plus you have one disgruntled Mandalorian to deal with. Nar-Shadaa is not Republic controlled, we won't get any help from command if we fuck up here." This was the closest Lindmon had gotten to chewing out any of his crew thus far. Giz and Ahsoka exchanged glances, Sabine seemes to glare at Crest through her visors before her shoulders visibly dropped.

"Yea. I...sorry." She said, turning away.

The group continued down their path towards the Northern district, now that they had actually gotten to the Grotto the streets were wide, albeit poorly lit and stacked with crates and trash. After a time the rain began to settle down, turning into a light sprinkling. Finally, after what seemed like an hour or more a Holosign came into view, it read "Gordo baa Rulya An Kinelea"

"That's the place, Gordo's weapons and ammunition" said Giz, pointing at the sign.

"How do you want to approach this Crest? Are we going to stake out the place or start asking around for this Grip Jippeek?" Sabine asked leaning close to the Lieutenant from the side. The path lit up brightly as several speeder cars zoomed overhead, their luminous headlights sending a shimmer across the newly fallen rain. Several dozen buildings cut through the main traffic areas of the Grotto, dictating where the speeder pathways were mapped. Hundreds of balconies and walkways stretched across the towers, connecting different levels of the city and making for various escape ways for gang members under fire.

"If we start asking questions and he has changed his name it's going to be sketchy and scare him off, it may be more appropriate to stake the place out but we can't be certain he's going to show up today... we could rough up the store owner, or pull up his photo and not use his name at all but all in all, this is a tough set of circumstances. Any Ideas Ahsoka?"

He turned to her, sweeping his eyes along the road. With the rain settling down more of the night life of the city had come out, people made deals for drugs in back alleys, and foot traffic moved to and from local bars and stores.

"Well, we know that he supplies the Red Scar with weapons from this location." Ahsoka pondered, "But we don't know how frequently he comes, it could be weeks or a month before he comes back. If that's the case word will end up getting back to the Red Scar that we're snooping around in their territory."

Sabine chimed in, offering her suggestion. "We should set up patrol sweeps around the city then. Split up and keep close to the area until one of us spots him."

Lindmon shook his head. "There's four of us, that could take longer than just waiting..." He ran his hand through his hair again, whipping the water off his hand.

Giz looked at the group before chirping up. "I have an idea, I speak Huttese, I could go in with somebody and try and broker a meeting with Gripp, try and entice him with a shipment of weapons, wouldn't step on the owners toes of course, just say that it's a one time thing we're trying to unload quietly. Stolen Imperial shipment maybe? Or a stolen Republic shipment?" She looked around again, almost embarrassed by her own idea.

"That might work, it could be dangerous but if it gets us our target I don't mind blasting a few of these Red Scar thugs." Sabine said happily.

"It's a reckless plan." Ahsoka interjected, "We saw what these thugs are like. If they get the feeling that we're trying to dupe them, they'll kill you."

Lindmon jumped in. "It could be a good way to get a one on one with Gripp though. We already risk drawing the attention of the Scar, no doubt they would have noticed a mandalorian walking through their ward. I can go in with her and we can try and set up a meeting near the hangar so we can get out quick... offer the shop keep a sum now and a cut of the profit from the sale for his troubles."

Giz shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. "I just don't see this going any other way, we're gonna get shot at, almost for certain but if we can at least get Gripp in the group making the randevous then perhapse it can work, I mean with you and Ahsoka there too I think we will make it out ok..." she said nodding at Sabine.

"I'll trust in your talents then." Ahsoka relented, still weary of the whole mission. If they had to bring this Rodian in to be skinned by the Blood Raptors, it would've put her at ease not to blast through a whole other gang to do it. "I've been part of many a reckless mission in my time...we'll have to plan for the unexpected."

"I just hope I can pull it off..." Giz sighed, straightening herself up. "L-T, if you don't mind coming along? You got that smuggler vibe going on so that may help." Lindmon brushed off his shoulders, water falling off it in large splatters and hitting the ground.

"You saying I look scummy? This is my best coat." He joked, motioning for Ahsoka and Sabine to find someplace to lay low. "We will be back shortly, if we're running, probably a good idea to run as well."

He and Giz turned to enter the shop as the other two slunk into a dark alley to wait.

They walked into Gordo's weapon supply, a dimly lit and small corner store. The store's walls were lined with blaster rifles and military grade repeating blasters. A rare bowcaster was slung on a rack to the left of the small desk at the back wall. Long cases held smaller armaments, heavy blaster pistols and some of the ever illegal hold-out blasters, small and concealable. Almost certain jail time for any citizen caught with one. Custom scopes, grips and overclock circuits sat behind a clear locked cabinet. A gaunt Weequay sat in a small chair behind the desk at the corner of the store, his gnarled corse skin gave him an almost permanent scowl beset with small horns protruding from his jawline. "What are you looking for, stranger." The Weequay asked as Giz and Lindmon enter.

Giz glanced around the room, her eyes landing on the old wookie bowcaster hanging in the corner. "Is that a legitimate Bowcaster?

"Jee tee neu bo see heee du roy, ree koumuaee tee bo bancaie bauueu baibu kon see wa Wookie. You have some top of the line merch Mah pateessa." She walked over and admired it where it hung. Lindmon glanced around the room, finding he best be quietly standing in a corner while Giz tried her hand.

"A friend of mine on Nal-Hutta said I could find some interesting pieces, and people, around here but this really is a treat." She continued, inspecting the firearm closely.

Gordo scowled at Giz from behind his desk, "It's ten thousand credits." He said curtly. An obscene price for the weapon, while rare, it was almost triple the value of such a weapon. Gordo spotted Giz's shocked expression at the price, and explained half handedly. "Jee gee cua dan rulya ai da, fa doth cuee see bahh cag. Nanptesna see gee killee Wookie." He pointed at Giz's holsters from the desk. "DL-44's...I have advanced circuits that can over clock. Put a hole the size of fist in Trandoshan's hide." Gordo said nodding his head at Giz expectantly, hoping for a quick sell.

Giz looks down at her blasters, chuckling. "Kaa heee? Jee gee eeth biweoo see joday du dah heee." She pointed over at Lindmon. "Show him your blaster there." Lindmon grunted, pulling the E-11 out from under his coat. "Now that there is one of mine, E-11 standard issue Imperial blaster, but, over charged fuel cell switch, can pull every last bit of charge out of a cell and launch it all, put a hole in the side of an old walker I did." She laughed, walking over to the counter. "Uba bla mee hataw, Dobra cuove bihmhepa."

Gordo shrugs at the compliment, "I'm a simple man, I like weapons, I like making money. So I am here." He says gesturing around the weapon shop. "Ateema peoi yoia uba nan?" He asked Giz, eying her beneath his deeply worn brow.

Giz motioned for Lindmon to come over, hand outstreatched for the rifle. "I'm hoping for some help, a generous Imperial vessel was kind enough to misplace some blasters, and I'm getting tired of having them in my hold. A friend up in the upper wards told me this was a good place to unload, and yours was the first weapons store I saw." She slid the rifle towards the owner. "Fa caiot doth wa chaweke bargon um baw wah bacdop see ten, momeu anwolei phabeka."

She smiled genuinely at the Weequay, allowing him time to inspect the rifle.

Gordo looked over the rifle for only a few seconds before placing it down on the desk again. "There is always place on the streets for old Imperial weapons. How many crates you carrying, what's the asking price?"

"Four crates, ten rifles, each one with the same modifications this one has, asking three K per crate, no questions, no concerns." Giz picked the rifle back up and threw it back to Lindmon.

Gordo looked shocked for a moment before reclaiming his emotions behind his mask of gnarled skin. Either she was really adamant about getting rid of these rifles or they weren't as good as she was saying. Even unmodded a standard E-11 could go for up to a thousand credits. If he opened the crates and it was just a bunch of rifle cores stripped of their parts he may still be able to make a small profit off of it. It would be a hassle, but the upside was unbelievable. Just under half of them needed to be in good working order and Gordo can install his illicit upgrade kit and have them on the street by the weeks end swimming in profit.

Something gives him pause though.

He knew the lawmen in the Grotto were all bought and paid for by Ekox Puuthu, the Gand kingpin. That didn't mean he could be incautious. Plenty of other local 'businessmen' had met their bitter end at the promise of a deal too good to pass up.

"Alright then, deal." Gordo said evenly, as to not indicate his surprise or caution. "No questions. Tell me where to meet you and I send one of my men to make purchase. Need to have blasters prepped at another location before I can sell them." He said shrewdly.

Giz nods. "Just north of the hangar bays near the Market District. I'll get my boys prepping them to move, but there is no deal unless your guy makes the first show. Who am I looking for. I'm not playing the same game my buddy got screwed in on Nal-Hutta" she stepped away from the counter. And crossed her arms, her ears flattening visibly under her headdress as she stared at the Weequay, her green eyes flashing as she shifted and the lights reflected off them.

Gordo crossed his arms and leaned back in his desk chair, not one to be intimidated normally, and especially not by the slight Cathar women. "I don't get to ask question but you try to pry into my operation?" He asked gruffly, "I don't know who will be meeting with you yet. I have people working all over the city, whoever is available will show."

"I'm not prying, I want a straight call. Somebody recognizable that can get this done quick. My boys aren't gonna pull the crates out if they feel threatened or like somethings up. This is Nar-Shadaa after all. Now, Woy jeejee gee wa bargon mo cha jeejee." She stuck out her paw as if to shake hands, expecting the Weequay to tell her the contact before she shakes.

"If you don't want to feel threatened Nar Shadaa isn't the place for you." Exclaimed Gordo, tossing up his hands incredulously. "You come here, drop this weapon deal in my lap and want straight call? Wiheaye nahbaianu kebbee!"

Gordo flicked his hand at Giz, shooing her away. "Never guarantees in Nar Shadaa, go elsewhere if you want straight call."

"I've seen to many deals drop south because one side thought they could play me, I'm sure you understand the caution. I want these off my ship, and if you don't want them I will find somebody else. Not asking for your inner workings, not getting into your business or how you run it, I just want to know who to be on the lookout for. Nothing more, I'm practically giving you these, you're gonna throw that away? Wata Jee canta uba doth wa pacahleth. Doth Jee koumhoiag?" She left her hand out. "My concerns are well founded from experience. If you are going to take a hard stance on this then so be it, I want these guns gone. Are they yours?"

Gordo stared her down for a long moment, this Cathar was being cautious. Very cautious. No doubt because of the small fortune sitting in her ship. He wanted it, those E-11 blaster rifles would look good to the local gangsters. "If you want it done now I can get Red Scar to send some of their guys. They do business with me in this area. I would prefer use my men, I trust them not to stick their greedy fingers in the deal." He sighed, reaching for Giz's hand. "Is that good enough or do you expect all their names too?"

"If they send to many and I feel they may get handsy the deal's off, but let them know that and we're good." She said grabbing his hand. "Cuova woy yanee cay uba."

She turned and started to leave, motioning for Lindmon to follow her.

A few minutes after they departed Gordo opened the drawer to his desk and pulled out a small communicator. He would have rather waited for his own men to do the deal, the Red Scar brought to much trouble for him, but he really wanted the deal. At that price it would be stupid to not even try. Even if he walked away with only two or three of the cases he could easily turn a profit.

He finished giving the location and info of the weapons deal and set the communicator back in the drawer. Now he just had to wait and hope they don't get too trigger happy, Gordo didn't want to explain his involvement to Ekox Puuthu if some of his Red Scar thugs end up dead.

The pair walked out of the store, Ahsoka and Sabine cane out of their hiding place as they moved towards them.

"Well? How'd it go?" Sabine asked quickly as they come up next to them. Lindmon looked down at Giz and smiled. Giz appeared to be staring straight ahead, her previous demeanor still strewn across her face. After a moment her irisis expand rapidly, taking up most of her eyes. Her shoulders dropped and she laughed, all of the adrenaline from the encounter slamming into her system at once. She continued to laugh excitedly to herself, wiping the sweat from her hands. "I think I just sold forty blasters to that guy? I, um, yea! He's buying four crates from us and is sending red Scar to pick it up!" She laughed again before she settling out, a tinge of worry spreading over her face. "They're sending Red Scar to the market district to pick up crates of guns."

Lindmon patted her on the shoulder reassuringly. "Fortunately if our target isn't there we can call it off and tell Gordo the men he sent came in hot."

Giz looked up at him, worry and anxiety falling off of her in waves. "You mean I may have to do that again? Ooooh goodness."

"Hopefully we get lucky and we won't have to do that too many times." Sabine said worriedly. If it did turn out to be a bust they would have to resort to simple scouting of the area, combing crowds for a Rodian on Nar Shadaa is no easy task."Knowing the Red Scar is coming gives us a pretty good chance of Gripp showing. He is the one moving weapons for them, maybe deals like this are how he gets the product." Ahsoka said as the group began to walk back the way they came. "I'd say we're fortunate it turned out with so much in our favor."

Giz bounced, happy that things turned out the way they did.

"We should go back to the ship, I think we have some empty ration crates we can use for this, if we need to." Lindmon said, motioning to the rest of the crew to follow back to the hangar.

(Huttese translations.)

"I haven't

seen

one

of these in years, at least not on that wasn't still attached to a Wookie. You have some top of the line Kerch my friend."

" I have better weapons than that, it is more of an art piece. A trophy from killing a Wookie"

"Oh these? I've put plenty of work in on these."

"You know your upgrades, I'm pleasantly surprised."

"Now why have you come?"

"It could be a lucrative deal for the both of us, quick and easy credits."

"Do we have a deal or don't we"

"Here I thought you were a businessman, was I wrong?"

"Pleasure doing business with you."


	7. A Droid on his own

In a second section of the city, surrounded by bustling streets and flashing holoprojections, Reed rolled on. Passing by store fronts of weapons, exotic foods, and less virtuosic pleasures, whistling to himself as his upper dome swiveld back and forth searching for a ship parts store.

Rounding the corner Reed bumped into the rear of a stout Dug, his attention elsewhere as he swiveled his sensor unit around. The purplish tan creature stumbled a bit before righting itself, snarling at Reed as it slapped the upper appendages it used as its legs on the ground. "Chuba! watch where you roll, waste bin." The Dug inspected Reed for a second, looking around for any other persons that it might belong to. "An R3 unit? What are you up to here all alone. It's a dangerous city, don't want to get sold for parts do ya?" He said shrewdly, grasping Reed with his knobby toe-fingers.

Reed chirped several times before making a long grinding sound, a small piece of paper slipping out of a slot on his chassis. "Compressor, T-6?" It read. He chirped several more times, backing up from the plump form of the Dug.

"T-6?" The Dug said incredulously, waving the paper around. "What an old junker! If it's the stock hyperdrive you'll never get a replacement..." He trailed off and then whipped towards Reed angrily. "Look here you kriffing Astro!" The Dug shoved Reed with his knobby feet-hands. "I'm no droid shopping service! If you don't want to be made into a scrap pile then git!"

Reed beeped and whistled several times, his dome rotating around full circle before he quickly zoomed around the large alien. He emited another grinding noise as he passed, a note fluttering out of the slot once more. The note was blank. The droid quickly moved away from the scene continuing his fruitless search.

The city market district was filled with the raucous shouts of store owners and customers arguing for better prices. The distant sound of a blaster firing off echoed against the tall buildings, which nobody but Reed seemed to notice. He squeeled and turned down into a nearby alley, huddling next to a pile of old boxes.

He sat there by himself for a long moment, the rain finally settling down. From behind him a quiet voice called out. "Little one? Please, spare a credit or two." Reed's done swiveled around to come face to lens with an old looking Devaronian. One of his horns was chipped and broken, the other whittled down into a dull point, no doubt some terrible joke played on the old beggar by some thug or another. "Please, if you have any." He smiled a toothy, smile in an attempt to be less threatening.

Reed beeped before the grinding noise pushed yet another note out of his chassis. "Compressor, T-6?" The Devonian picked up the note as it slipped out and fluttered onto the wet ground.

"I may know a stall that could help, but first a chip or two." The beggar said, hand outstretched. Reed rumbled for a moment, shaking before a pair of credit chips popped out of the top of his dome. As they tumbled down him the beggar lurched forward, snatching the credits from the air. "Turn back out to the right, straight down. Find the wookie." He said quickly, slipping on the wet floor as he stood to rush away and buy what meager food he could.

Reed bounced slightly on his wheels, spinning around in a tight circle and whistling to himself. He rolled back out of the alley and turned back down the street, none the wiser to the fact that if he had just continued down he would have found the stall himself.

Rolling down the bustling street, nearby stalls continued to cry out their goods to the passerbys. As he hurried along, strangers on the street looked at him curiously as he continued to whistle to himself. Finally he saw the stall in question, a wet wookie standing behind the counter was pulling wires out of an old and broken Gonk droid. As he rolled up the large wookie looked at him and cried out a guttural roar and looked down at him. Reed chirped and spun, grinding out the same message as before.

"Compressor? T-6" the wookie took the note and shook it at the droid, turning around as a tall Kaminoan stepped out from the back of the stall.

"What Grudrel what do you want?" He said, his voice a lilting, almost lyrical tempo. "Oh? Ooooh. My my little one you are a ways in over your head here aren't you?" The Wookie handed the note over, growling out several words. "Ooooh I see. T-6? Oooold shuttle yes. Hmm. Difficult but! Hmmm..." He trailed off in thought, Reed whistled several times, shifting himself back and forth.

"Last one blew up you say? Dear oh dear yes that is the conundrum I see hmmm..." the Kaminoan ducked into the back of his stall, clattering around for a couple minutes. The wookie and the droid exchanged a look. The Wookie let out a low grunt and the droid chirped back in kind.

After a long moment the Kaminoan returned with several small bits and parts, along with an old compressor. He set them down on the counter and began tweaking the main body of the compressor with the wires and casing he brought from the back.

"T-6 shuttle parts haven't been in circulation since the end of the clone wars, a treasure you have there indeed, old but good yes old but gooood" his head bobbed from side to side as he talked, his fingers working deftly as he modified the compressor he had found. "Now not a T-6 but a Lambda compressor, some modifications aaaaaaaand" he dropped the whole unit into a housing case and slid it forward. "Here you are, 700 credits, a steal just for you little droid. Now would you by chance be in need of installation? For a flat 300 I can do this too, ensure it's correct you see." R3 chirpped at the tall alien, his dome spinning around several times. "Yes yes payment after installation and confirmation of function of course. One moment let me get my hat." He shuffled into the back room, the wookie shook himself, spraying water in every direction.


	8. Highway hustle

(Translations located at bottom of chapter in order)

The small group trudged back up the long walk to the hangar bay, with the end of the rain the streets had gotten far more packed as the night life kicked into full swing.

Back at the hangar, the Kaminoan had just finished installing the new compressor. Sulahaan leaned against one of the deployment arms of the ramp, watching quietly. Reed and the Wookie stood near each other, the droid rolling around his feet as the wookie followed him, spinning in place.

"Well well yes? We're about done here no worry or troubles, Sooya'thin's parts are guaranteed, you have any issues you come flying back to me and we will get you patched better than any garage in this sector could!" His head bobbled back and forth as he talked. Sulahaan grunted, whistling over to Reed.

"Screw bucket, pay the man ssso the two of em can be off" he hissed, Reed rolled back over, a port opening and an arm holding a satchel of credits slid out.

Sooya'thin and the Wookiee accepted the satchel, stepping off the shuttle to leave the hangar. "Who were they?" Sabine asked Sulahaan curiously as the group entered.

"Mechanics apparently, Reed got them to install a new compressor." Sulahaan responded. Sabine chuckled and slid into a seat at the holo table.

"I guess if the droid isn't Chopper they can actually do errands without causing a mess in the town." Reed chirped happily and wheeled around in a quick circle.

Outside the shuttle, Giz stood with Lindmon inspecting the new compressor. Sooya'thin strode down the ramp, a smile on his face. "Yes! Good day and eve to you! That's her! You should be set and ready to fly to your hearts content."

Giz frowned, looking over the cluster of wires. "What is this pile of poodoo?" She sighed looking through everything. "Is this a Lambda compressor? This bird's nest wouldn't handle re-entry at all. And is this wire here spliced from the servo housing to the rotar complex..." she trailed off, staring at the build.

Sooya'thin smiled to himself as he saw the understanding coming across her face.

"This... this is genius! You've connected the primary motor housing to the main power of the ship to bypass the Lambda's innate current dampener! That's amazing!" The Cathar bounced up and down, digging through the pile of wires carefully to see exactly how the sequences were connected.

"You know your parts my new found friend yes indeed that is a Lambda Compressor! Smart girl you have working your ship my friend." He said, continuing down the ramp.

Ahsoka recognized the famed cloner species from the decades old clone wars. She bowed politely as Sooya'thin walked past, and he responded in kind.

"Now that the compressor is dealt with we don't have to worry about being trapped here if things go bad." She said reassuringly to Lindmon and Giz, "All we need now is to catch this Rodian. At the rate we're going that doesn't seem to be a problem."

"Hoho plotting and planning I see? Well well we will be right out of your way, if you ever have need, you know where to find us and we will always be happy to help." He walked past them and started leaving the hangar, his wookie in tow. "After all, it isn't often these days I get to work with a Jedi." He said with a wink towards Ahsoka before the pair disappeared around the corner.

Hours later, the group had set up the crates taken from the storage hold of the _Saqorian Zephyr_. They had left the rations and extra supplies strewn across the hold, but for this ploy to work, they needed the illusion of actually having the weapons. Giz and Lindmon had set the crates near the rear of a small alcove next to Jelok's Cantina, a notorious dive known for spice deals and deathstick distribution. The nightlife of Nar-Shadaa had taken over the streets, drunken brawls had already broken out several times since Giz and Lindmon arrived.

Sabine was perched on another building, several stories up overlooking the streets. Stacking sets of intersections whizzed past, threading through the buildings of the city. The bright headlights gave a rapid strobe effect on the glass panels of the tall spire like buildings. Sabine had set her helmet scanner to identify the distinctive features of Gripp Jippeek. When the Red Scar do show up, she would be able to tell if he is among the ones in the group.

Ahsoka had removed her white coat and was blending in to the crowd near Giz and Lindmon. If the Red Scar became suddenly aggressive, she would be able to intervene fairly quickly and give Lindmon and Giz a chance to escape.

Sitting across from the cantina, perched in a spot to see the approaching group, Lindmon patted Giz on the shoulder reassuringly, his other hand resting on the grip of his blaster. He reached up to his ear where a comm piece rested. "Alright, the drop is set in four minutes, we should be seeing the target shortly. Sabine, if Gripp is not in the group we pull out. We're not risking this going south for nothing. If he is, we will engage and distract, need you to secure the target and Giz, Ahsoka, and I will clear further obstacles, once you have him we make for the ship. Sulahaan has the engine spun and ready as soon as we make it aboard. We're all clear? On you for the que Sabine." He went back to scanning the crowd.

Tension built in the ensuing minutes, Sabine paced across the terrace on the upper levels clenching her knuckles nervously. The scanner in her helmet rapidly passing over dozens of alien faces a second, looking for the distinctive scar placement of Gripp Jippeek. "I copy Lieutenant, so far it's clear. I've got the closest lane of speeder traffic in my scanner to so i—" she cut off suddenly. The scanner shooting a sharp confirmation alarm in her helmet. "I've got him!"

"Heard, where is he? How many friends does he have?" Lindmon said, tapping Giz on the shoulder. She took a deep breath in and pulled her headdress over her head, after a moment her demeanor changed to that of the Cathar from Gordo's weapons. Ahsoka and Lindmon's eyes met across the street as she stood next to a stand hawking cooked womp rat. He nodded to her. The feeling of overbearing anxiety was more than just his own he thought, the whole area seemed charged and tense, which was at the same time a good and bad thing. His neck tingled uncomfortably. "Let us know when they reach position A. At that point give us a minute and then start." He checked his rifle for the fifth time in as many minutes, still fully charged.

"Hey L-T..." Giz said quietly, lindmon looked over at her, the anxiety eminating from her much stronger than he had anticipated.

"What's up Giz." He replied, seeing the fur on her face bristle.

"I um...will this work...?" She asked quietly. He put a hand on hers.

"I think so Giz..." he responded quietly. "Sabine report."

"I've got him, he's in a speeder coming in from the northeast lane." Sabine stopped for a moment examining the speeder Gripp was driving, the targeter locked and highlighting the scar located behind his ear. "Lieutenant. He's got three other guys with him." It wasn't too odd that he came with backup, gangsters were always wanting to make a show of force.

Sabine tracked the speeder as it pitched down, swooping wide as it came to the lower level of the market. Just behind Gripp's own speeder, following close behind was an additional speeder filled with more Red Scar gangsters. "Looks like he brought friends. Who wants to bet they forgot their weapons at home?" She said nervously, flipping up her range finder quickly.

"So we're looking at target plus what, seven?" Lindmon asked, doing calculations in his head. Do you have an extra smoke bomb on you or just the one?"

"Just the one, although I may be able to disable one with a dart if I get a shot in post." Sabine responded, her voice cracked long over the receiver. "Target and friends are moving towards position A, I say you have about a minute. We still on?" She asked nervously.

"We're on. Plan stands as normal, Sul, when target gets on board you get ready to go, if we're not there you're to depart, rotate back around, backup pickup spot is lower level market district, traffic lane. It's gonna be hot if we use that. Ahsoka, you ready? Any reservations or tips?" He said with a finality. Giz took a deep breath, readying herself.

"Reservations? You mean something like kidnapping a gangster and dragging him to certain death?" Ahsoka's sarcasm crackled over the short range communicator. "We're doing a risky operation, things can change unexpectedly. We have to trust our instincts and the Force if we want to get off this planet with our target."

"Lieutenant. If you haven't been trusting the Force now is the time." Sabine chattered from her terrace perch. "We don't get this guy now, I've got a world of hurt coming my way. Understand?"

Lindmon sighed, now Sabine was getting on his case too. "Understood. Target is coming into position, Sabine take your position." He watched as she jetpacked down back to street level and ducked into the nearby cantina.

Further up the road, the Red Scar and their motly crew of aliens marched up the street, people shifted to one side or the other as they approached, or were shoved out of the way. Gripp wrung his hands as they reached the meeting spot. He stopped and looked at his wrist device. This was the spot. Lindmon took a deep breath. "We're going in, stay frosty."

They approached the group of gangsters, standing just outside the entry way to the cantina, nobody seemed to pay them much mind outside of staying out of their way. Several of the gangsters leaned against the building and began talking to each other as the pair approached.

Gripp's eyes narrowed at the pair. "Doth uba bu bo cay bu dan?" He asked as they stopped, the rest of the members taking notice.

"Whao uba gee mah kanay hee Dobra." Giz responded. She stood just in front of Lindmon on the street as people passed them by.

Back inside the cantina, Sabine sat in a booth looking out into the street. She watched as the pair came into view and bit her lip, her wrist mounted servos whirred as a small metal wire began to untwine from inside them. She grabbed one end and wrapped it around her hand.

"Gordo sey jeejee doth manpanh bimhee cay wa Gokre, Jee cha phabajen ree koo um wata uba doth. An dauah bai dah." Gripp continued. "Jee gee bu phabeka whao uba gee bu dan."

Giz pointed over her shoulder into the alleyway where the crates were hidden, the corners of several visible from under the cloth covering them. "Tytung fwanna, chake che uba bai paknee ata. Bonee wagan Dobrawamma da doth." Giz said. The Rodian motioned to three of his companions and pointed at the crates. The three trudged over into the alley. Sabine made eye contact with Lindmon, who ran a hand through his hair. The signal. She stood from her booth and started walking out the front of the cantina.

As the three gangsters made their way past and into the alley, Sabine passed by the remaining. She bumped into Lindmon, reaching into his pocket before continuing past. Lindmon looked back at her, patting his pocket. "That fucking thief." He said, loud enough for Gripp to hear. The Rodian looked over his shoulder and snickered.

"Ye wanya bacaka mee pateessa doth tee ree nyowkee yabee." He said, the other gangsters chuckling in response. Lindmon reached back and pulled Sabine off her feet and in front of him. She landed on her back hard and leaped back up.

"What's your problem?!" She shouted at him as Lindmon rushed forward and pushed her hard with his rifle. The group of gangster lets out a laugh as she stumbled into the Rodian. He pushed her back off of him.

"Wa konbouaheon an wa ukaueth? Tee-tocky katka doth koucaue cheuba!" He laughed as she bounced from him back into Lindmon who planted a hard boot into her chest, throwing her back at the Rodian. As she made contact she wrapped the cord around his arms, tumbeling into him and onto the ground. Lindmon reached into his pocket where Sabine planted the smoke grenade. "haku du bu, yaee! Haku ne!" The other gangster reached for Sabine just as the others finished opening the first crate.

"Shits Empty!" One shouted as Sabine's jet pack flared into life, sliding the Rodian along the ground and through the legs of one of the gangsters. Lindmon pulled the grenade from his pocket and threw it to the ground where it spewed dark grey smoke. Several voices cried out from the passerbys as the sound of unholstering blasters passed through the fog. Lindmon grabbed Giz's arm and pulled her to the ground as the first several shots passed through, lighting the surrounding smoke and slamming into a nearby pedestrian who dropped to the ground.

"Hunter!!" One of the Red Scar gangsters cried out, alerting the other members. "A hunter is trying to bust Gripp!" The gangsters in the alley burst out, coughing and hacking from the smoke bomb. The several others that weren't caught in the smoke quickly unholstered their weapons and began raining fire into the smokescreen and at Sabine, who after clattering through the group was struggling to lift Gripp away from the area. Ahsoka burst from her hiding spot and intercepted several bolts hurtling towards Lindmon and Giz. Her sabers ignited with a "snap-hiss', slapping away the blaster bolts, spinning her sabers in a defensive swirling arc. "Stay behind me Lieutenant!" She yelled, twirling the white sabers in her hands and deflecting several more shots from the gangsters.The rain of blaster fire peppered the air around Sabine as she flew evasively side to side. Gripp scrabbled across the street, screaming and kicking for a foothold. The street cleared quickly as the blasterfire rung out, no passerbys wanting to catch a stray bullet.

Lindmon caught himself watching Ahsoka's defensive dance, red bolts ricocheting left and right, he pulled Giz up and they made a dash for a nearby alley they had decided on for the escape route. Giz unholstered her pair of DL-44s, firing off several volleys into the smoke as Ahsoka backed up along with them, continuing to block blaster fire from all directions. A shout rang out as her laser met home and one of the gangsters collapsed to the ground.

Giz continued running as Lindmon unslung his rifle, flipping a switch on the side. "Get cleat Ahsoka I only have one shot at this!" He shouted. The E-11 whirred loudly as it's battery overcharged. The muzzle glowed red and as Ahsoka passed around the corner he let off a shot, the laser blasted through the corner of the building, tearing a huge chunk from it as rubble rained down into the street behind them. The blaster hissed as it cooled down. "Only shot I have for a minute! Let's go!"

Gripp flailed and kicked as the grappling line wrapped around his hands lifted him off the ground. He called out to his allies, screaming for help, "Haku doth uba woy keepuna uen! Mo kaa!" The jetpacked bounty hunter lifted him high over the market district, dangling him above the low roofs of the shops and storefronts.

"I've got him!" Sabine shouted over the comm. Her jet pack thrusters picking up speed and altitude now that Gripp struggled helplessly in the air. "I'm taking him out of the area and fully restraining him. I'll meet you at the shuttle!"

From the ground, a large Red Scar Trandoshan stepped through the dissipating smoke screen. A large scar split his left eye, leaving his iris permanently torn. He looked down at his blaster rifle and cranked the clocking drive near the power pack, the rifle released a high-pitched whine in response. A deep rumble emanated from the Trandoshans throat as he hoisted the rifle, setting it into his shoulder, taking aim at the flying Mandalorian. Tssosk Zust had killed their kind before and knew just what countermeasures could cripple them. He was just glad that he could use Gordo's weapon modifications for something like this, he would get much honor if he was able to confirm the kill today.

Tssosk pulled the trigger, aimed just above the Mandalorians flight path, and the rifle screamed out a spike of white blue crackling energy. A perfect shot. He lowered his blaster and shouted to the other gangsters shooting into the alley that the other three escaped to. Commanding them to get back to the speeders, if they could use the advantage of speed against these hunters they could get Gripp and escape.

The bolt shattered against Sabine's armor, exploding in a shower of sparks and pulsating energy. "What!? What the hell!" She shouted as the HUD and targeting systems shut off. Leaving the inside of her helmet dark. "Lieutenant! I've been hit by something!...come in Crest!!" She yelled into the comm with no response, the signal dead. The jet pack coughed the last bit of thrust as the systems shut down from the ion pulse. Thirty feet. The wench in her gauntlet went slack as the grappling device shut off. What hit her, did they have an ion rifle? That's almost military grade weaponry, could they really have that? Twenty feet. "Flight control! Flight control!" Sabine shouted at the computer system. The ion trails had faded now, she should be getting power back any second. She reached back to the jet controls, operating it manually might be the only option, she depressed the small button inside her jet packs side panel. Nothing. Ten feet. "Oh shi-" Sabine slammed onto the roof of the market district store with a sickening clatter. She rolled across the roof before sliding to a stop, her right arm disconnected from the socket laying limp beside her.

Gripp had a much less aggressive fall as he was far below her being tethered away. He slipped his hands out of the now slack line and threw himself up. The jump down from the roof was to far for him to want to attempt but he saw the Red Scar gangsters loading into the speeders. He took off running, leaping across the market rooftops in a mad dash for escape. If he could just get to those speeders he might have a chance.

As the dust settled and the small group pulled itself from the alley way Sabine's message came in loud. Ahsoka breathed a sigh of relief and Giz bounced up and down as they approached the _Zephyr_. A moment later Lindmon noticed a creeping sensation down his neck and an uneasiness in his stomach.

"Somethings not right. Ahsoka, I think we have a problem." He raised his hand to his ear again, tapping on the comm unit. "Sabine, were at the shuttle and waiting on you." They stood motionless for a moment, silence. "Sabine come in, what's your ETA?" Again silence in the line. "Shit."

A perfect shot indeed, Tssosk thought to himself as he began to scale the wall of the building. Of the group of Red Scar gangsters present he was one of the most talented in regards to fighting, the leader if you will, of his little pack of rag tag aliens. He dug his three fingered claws and toes into the walls, lifting himself up with surprising speed. Hoisting his large reptilian body over the lip of the roof, he could see Gripp Jippeek scrambling across the rooftops. A man with little honor, though he had his uses, destined to run forever, but Tssosk was a greater form of being. He would please the Scorekeeper this day. The last time he killed a Mandalorian he grew to new heights in the eyes of his God. While not as venerable as killing a Wookie in single combat, strangling the life from a warrior such as them with his bare claws was almost as close as it could get. Tssosk saw his prey still sprawled out on the roof unmoving. Good, he had secured a vast advantage in this hunt. He licked his long fangs and hissed as he took his first steps towards greater glory.

Lindmon pointed to the ship, urging the others on board. "Sul get us airborne now! Reed, get a ping on Sabine's locator!" He shouted up the ramp as they clambered aboard. Seconds later the ship lifted off, ramp still open as Lindmon held on to the deployment leg. Reed chirped several times, plugging himself into a port in the cockpit.

"We have her sir! Moving to intersssscept!" Sul hissed. The shuttle pulled from the hangar and wheeled towards the market district where the slight signal was emanating.

"We're coming Sabine, if you read, we're on our way!" Lindmon said into the comm once more, storing the spent blaster and pulling another from the storage space near the ramp.

"Hey!"

Sabine snapped awake, she'd fallen asleep propping her head against her hand. She glanced around in alarm, startled at the setting she awoke in. Back aboard the Ghost, home, it's radiant overhead lights illuminating the table she was sitting at. The wide paint chipped walls separated the cargo hold and the crew quarters where she lived for years.

"Hey! What're you doing?" The voice called out.

Sabine gasped in shock and whipped her eyes towards the voice. There he was, just as she remembered before he left. Same jet black hair, bright blue eyes and goofy grin from all those years ago.

"Ezra..." Sabine said, stunned at the sight of her friend. "W-why am I here? I was just on..." Is this a dream? Am I delusional? She thought, still in awe of her sudden change of surroundings.

Ezra looked at her, perplexed at her confusion. "What's the matter?" He said, concerned about the state of surprise Sabine was showing.

"I...I fell." Sabine said, struggling to reconstruct her memory of the last few minutes. She moved her hand up to her head, touching it gently. Wet, and warm.

An image of her body sprawled out on the rooftop flashed in her mind. She heard the Lieutenant through the helmet that had been knocked off her head. Tipped over on it's side the comm chatter echoed in the helmet. "-f you read...on...way." Her limbs were splayed and twisted across the floor of the rooftop and her half lidded eyes barely showed convincing signs of life.

When she pulled her fingers back she found no blood, just the faint feeling of wetness. "I think I have a concussion." She said to Ezra plainly.

Ezra scoffs, "Well you've had plenty of those! I'm surprised there's still anything left in there." He said teasingly, poking Sabine in the forehead.

She punched him hard in the stomach and he doubled over, coughing and laughing. "Hey! Come on now!" Ezra chuckles.

"Are you calling me stupid?" Sabine said angrily, clenching her fist for another strike.

Ezra shook his head in denial, "If you wear that helmet all the time, how stupid could you be?" He laughed loudly again, and after a moment Sabine laughed along with him, giving in to his usual charades.

She smiled sadly after the laughter died down. It's a familiar scene, close to the way things used to be, but it's not a memory. Just a delusion she'd made up in her concussed state, a yearning for her old companion.

"Where are you?" Sabine pleaded, examining his body carefully as if he were a map that held a hidden clue. "I've been looking everywhere."

"I don't know..." Ezra responded, looking off to the side. His eyes locked on something far away. "Something is coming."

What did that mean? Sabine thought, trying to decipher his words. Something outside of her mind or on a greater scale like a Jedi premonition?

"You have to get up." Ezra commanded, reaching for her hand to lift her out of the bench.

Sabine rolled her eyes in annoyance, "I can't get up Ezra, I can't even feel my arm and my whole body hurts. The target probably got away already anyway. My one chance at getting a good lead on where you could be."

"So? Go and get him then." Ezra said, raising his eyebrow mockingly. "Don't stop until you do."

"It's not that easy anymore Ezra! When we were together we could make anything happen." Sabine complained, "But you're gone now and I don't k-"

"Hey now, don't tell me your giving up because of something like that." Ezra scolded, "Listen, were a team when we're together and we're a team when we're apart! If you can't stand then I'll be there to pick you up!" He clasped her hand in his and lifted her out of the bench.

His words sent a jolt of excitement surging through her body. The close bond they shared forcing her to focus, to break the hold of this unconsciousness. The walls of the Ghost tumbled away leaving nothing but a void in its place. Her dream like vision hurtling around her, the image of Ezra turning to dust and fading away.

"I'll definitely find you! I swear!" Sabine shouted into the darkness.

 _I know I can always count on you._

Tssosk roared in excitement, the loud war-cry from deep in his chest resonated across the whole Market District. This. This is what he wanted. This must be the reason the Scorekeeper valued their kind so highly. He licked his thick lips, wet and dripping with his saliva. Tssosk wanted to kill this Mandalorian women, consume her flesh and absorb whatever spirit drove her. Achieve the glory the Scorekeeper so clearly yearned for him to achieve. She stood before him now, her eyes lightless and hollow, her right arm hanging limp at her side, useless. From her left hand a dazzling emerald blade pulsed in the air, angled upwards in preparation for combat. The current of power disrupting the fog of Nar Shadaa, it's wisps flitting and dancing around the beam of light in spirals. Her face locked in the unflinching glare of a warrior.

 _I will let nothing stand in my way_.

The wings of the _Zephyr_ swiveled into a vertical position as the large shuttle shifted into the traffic lanes of the city. Speeders swerved around it to get out of the way as it lifted up over the roofs of the Market District. Lindmon and Ahsoka stood at the bottom of the ramp, holding on with white knuckles as it swept over the streets.

"This fog is not making this easy for us!" Lindmon shouted over passing wind, worry obvious on his face.

"Don't look with your eyes Lieutenant, use your feelings, focus, Sabine needs us and she needs you!" Ahsoka shouted, eyes closed.

Lindmon stared out into the passing fog.

 _You can do this Crest, trust your instincts, they've never proved you wrong before_. He closed his eyes, the gentle tingle moving down from his neck once more. He was getting used to it, understanding what it meant.

 _Jump_

He felt his legs moving before he could think to control them.

Lindmon landed just on the edge of the rooftop, tumbling his body forward to dissipate the force of the fall. He looked up to find Sabine and Tssosk engaged in their tense stand-off. An emerald blade thrumming protectively in front of Sabine.

Tssosk unsheathed a long durasteel blade from his side. A Doshan honor blade, forged from the rare Chalon ore, it was thicker and sharper than most other blades. "I am Tssosk Zhut!" He said as he dragged the blade across his palm, a simple ritual for the Scorekeeper. To draw her gaze to him in preparation for the fight. "I will be killing you hunter, for my glory and my God!" He snarled through thick wet fangs. Underarms, behind the knees, wrists, neck and now the face. All the points in which the Mandalorian armor was vulnerable, all the places he would sink his blade into.

Sabine drew slow ragged breaths, pushing the wisps of fog away from her mouth. "Flight...control." She struggled to speak. From the ground beside her, the helmet chimed in response to the command.

Tssosk glanced swiftly at the noise, _remote activat-_

In that instant she was behind him, a thick trail of smoke in her wake. He pivoted to answer her movement, but his right arm did not come with him. It separated from his shoulder and slapped to the ground. The force of his thundering blood ruptured the cauterized stump where his arm should be and thick blood oozed out in spurts. Tssosk fell to the ground howling in pain, scrabbling and kicking.

Her feet slide across the roof several feet before she came to a stop, her left hand still gripping the emerald saber. The thrust of her jet pack pushing her far past the target. Sabine slowly looked around the rooftop, her listless eyes passing over Lindmon. She stumbled forward, her right leg scraping and limping with each step.

Lindmon followed her gaze and saw their target, Gripp, leaping into the speeder of the Red Scar. A second speeder roared towards them from a distance, the remaining gangsters firing wildly inaccurate shots at Lindmon and Sabine. Shouting and yelling for the fallen Tssosk.

Lindmon pressed a finger to his ear. "I have her, target just hopped in a speeder and is heading north, focus there, Sabine and I will rendezvous once we're done here." The static over the comm was cut only briefly by "roger, on intercept."

Sabine shuddered foreword a couple more steps before falling to a knee, Lindmon rushed over next to her as the already hazey look in her eyes began to fade again. The saber deactivated, still clutched in her hand as behind them Tssosk roars angrily.

 _Trust in the force, let it be your guide._

Ahsoka's voice echoes through his mind.

 _You will fail them, and in so doing fail yourself_.

The Black Skull's deformed face flashed across his mind. Lindmon shook his head, pulling the hilt from Sabine's hand as he lifted her up.

Sabine gripped tightly over Lindmon's hand containing the silver and black saber. Some of the lucidity returning to her eyes as she looked at him. "That..." her voice rasped, "Belongs...to me."

Tssosk twisted and flails on the ground behind them. His shouts fading until his mind succumbed to the shock and he lay on the rooftop, mind black with unconsciousness.

"Then get back on your feet and use it." Lindmon said, pushing the saber back into her hand. She lifted it up to her chest and held it there for a moment. "Your shoulder is screwed, you think you broke it?" Lindmon eyed the damage done to her, electrical burns streaked across her armor where the emp slammed into her before turning his attention to the approaching speeder.

"No, it's just dislocated." She responded slowly, still rattled and groggy. Sabine gripped her shoulder and pulled it back into place with a crunch. The pain sending shockwaves through her body, flooding her mind with sharp static. Careful movements confirmed that it still functioned, battered and bruised but not broken.

The Red Scar's second speeder rushed towards them, zooming several feet over the rooftops. Blaster bolts became more accurate as they came closer.

"I don't think we should stick around here to meet his friends" Lindmon said quickly, running for the edge of the building closest towards the street. "We may be able to lose them in the bustle, the rest of the crew is chasing the target." He glanced back towards Sabine who had stumbled over to her helmet and picked it up, placing it back over her head.

"I think they seem nice." Sabine said jokingly, her voice crackling over the comm system in Lindmon's earpiece. She ducked low, dodging several of the red bolts of energy plinking into the rooftop. "We can't get left behind or Gripp will get away! You think they'll let us borrow their speeder?" She said, running over to Lindmon and firing at the incoming speeder.

"Yea I'm sure if we asked nicely they would give us a ride." Lindmon turned around, aiming his own rifle at the oncoming speeder. After a moment he fired of a shot, clipping the front passenger in the shoulder. "Off by that much." He sighed while lining up another shot.

"I'm going up, try not to shoot me!" Sabine called to Lindmon as she rocketed off towards the incoming speeder. She fired her pistols rapidly into the speeder, aiming at the gangsters inside. All of her shots failed to hit flesh, instead stricking the hull of the speeder or missing completely.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance, her accuracy was normally perfect. Sabine strafed the speeder, forcing the howling Red Scar members to reposition in their seats to get a shot off at her. She depressed the activator on her vambrace and the thin flexsteel wire snapped out, snaking around one of the gangsters. The Red Scar thug was ripped from his seat as Sabine accelerated away. "You should've worn your seat belt!" She shouted down at him.

The thug kicked as screamed as she released the grappling line, the inner mechanism slicing the metal cord. He fell dozens of feet to the market floor, missing the rooftops that may have made the fall less fatal.

The speeder swooped around in response, the remaining two Red Scar members debating which target to attack first.

As the speeder swept back around Lindmon lined up another shot, aiming carefully at the driver. "Got you a rental Sabine, free of charge, just need to get the baggage out." He chimed in over the comms before taking his shot. The red beam zipped through the air, melting the back of the drivers head, the wound cauterized instantly as he slumped foreword.

"You got me a gift? That's nice Lieutenant." Sabine joked. She landed on top of the recently killed driver, jolting the speeder as it dipped low. Without a driver the repulser engines cut out and listed to the side. The last remaining thug fired his blaster pistol at Sabine. Two bolts catching her in the chest, slapping into her armor plating with a loud clacking noise. The impacts caused her to stumble over the dead body, nearly throwing her off the speeder. She turned both her pistols on the thug and unloaded a hail of fire into him, not allowing her reduced aim to keep her from hitting the target. The Red Scar thug convulsed as he was enveloped by a strobe of flashing red blaster bolts. Sabine dumpsed the smoking bodies out the side of the speeder. She gripped the controls and leveled out the repulser engines. "You're a good pilot right?" She asked Lindmon, pulling up the speeder to the edge of the roof. "Take a girl for a ride?"

"It would be my pleasure." He joked, jumping off the building and into the side seat as Sabine passed. "Please keep your hands, Arms, legs inside the vehicle at all times, and uh, hope you had a light lunch." He said as she jumped into the passenger seat and he slid behind the wheel. A moment later the engine of the speeder whirred loudly as the new pilot forced it to it's top speed.

Lindmon pushed the speeder to its limits in an attempt to catch up to the _Zephyr_ and the escaping Gripp Jippeek. He juked and weaved the craft through traffic as the other drivers honked and yelled as he passed them by. Lindmon twisted the controls of the speeder hard to the right, curving the speeder around a sharp turn.

Sitting in the passengers seat next to him, Sabine shielded her eyes from the zooming vistas, cupping her hands around her face to block the nauseating view. She had taken her helmet off temporarily to wipe the small trickle of blood left on her head, the condition of her injury turning her skin pale and clammy.

The speeder swept past several others as it sped forward, the silhouette of the _Zephyr_ coming into view. As they gained on the shuttle the figure of Ahsoka still standing on the ramp solidified. The speeder pulled up behind the ship and Lindmon turned to Sabine. "Get on there, you're messed up and need some attention."

"We haven't got him yet." Sabine said defiantly, "I can keep going for just a bit longer."

Off in the distance, further down the traffic lane, Gripp pushed his small speeder faster down the forest of buildings. He sweat heavily in panic, and his other two companions glanced nervously over their shoulders. This was more than they expected, a lone Hunter they could've dealt with but it seemed there was a whole team sent to capture him. Now the rest of his group was either dead or captured and he might be next.

But maybe there was still hope for him. This kind of assistance was meant only for emergencies, and Gripp didn't think there was any better time than now. He pulled out a small communicator from his breast pocket and desperately called for help. "Dobra dotkola vot! Banba wamma caueg bai yauma mi!"

"Sabine, it's an order, you look like a pile of bantha dung, you're white as a sheet. Giz can patch you up, leave it to us, we can get him, that's a promise." He sped up and got in close to the shuttle ramp.

Ahsoka looked down at the pair and Lindmon motioned for her to jump down.

"Leave it to us Sabine, you're no use to anybody in the state your in. "

"Look. I don't know why you think I'm just going to sit on the ship and wait for you to finish the mission." Sabine said angrily. She stood up quickly on the seat and slipped her helmet back on. "See? I look fine alright?"

She coughed once beneath her helmet and Lindmon watched her body go slack. At the speed he was pushing the vehicle she should have been thrown from the cabin the moment she lost consciousness. Instead her body lifted up gently and floated across the small gap between the _Zephyr_ and speeder.

Ahsoka's hand guided her to the ramp of the ship, placing her down inside the shuttle. She then slapped the ramp control node and slipped out of the shuttle as it closed, landing beside Lindmon. "Punch it." Ahsoka said with fervor.

The speeder lurched right as Lindmon slammed on the controls, pushing around the shuttle. "Giz, Sabine's in the entry bay and needs immediate medical attention, Ahsoka and I are moving to intercept now."

"Yes sir on it!" Her voice came through the channel.

Lindmon swerved through the traffic, the whine of the engine loud over the whooshing air. "Thank you, she's stubborn as hell but I admire her tenacity. With that injury she should have been out way sooner."

"I agree. I don't think she would've stopped if her injuries weren't as severe as they were." Ahsoka said, sitting next to Lindmon as they blazed past the lines of traffic. The runaway speeder came closer and closer into view, Lindmon's adept piloting skills overcoming the gap Gripp attempted to make in his escape. "Do you know what happened Lieutenant?" She asked, concerned of how Sabine became so battered. Even from her distance on the shuttle it didn't take a Jedi to know that she had been badly damaged.

Lindmon shook his head. "I landed on the building and she had pulled out her lightsaber and took off the arm of a Trandoshan when I showed up, if I had to guess it was an energy weapon, her armor was covered in electrical burns and he shoulder was out of socket so I think she got shot down." As the stolen speeder encroached on Gripp's red flashes sped their way as Gripp's companions began shooting at them, the lasers flying past harmlessly.

"Her lightsaber? You think that's really the case?" Ahsoka said skeptically. Behind the speeder, sirens and flashing lights rung out from their current traffic lane. The two law enforcement vehicles flying towards Lindmon's speeder swerved around nearby vehicles. "It looks like we've got company!" Ahsoka looked over her shoulder at the two incoming speeders.

"I watched her take off his arm with it so yea I'm sure, things keep getting more and more interesting." The speeder swept left to dodge incoming fire. "How should we handle this?"

Ahsoka shook her head, standing up onto the speeder seat as she slapped away some of the blaster fire with her glowing white sabers. "You understand what I mean right Lieutenant? Or why I think it's strange she has one, after all you've learned about Jedi over the course of this mission?" She asked as she slung her blades around herself and Lindmon with effortless dexterity. Her tone seemed somewhat annoyed, or irritated. Lindmon found it strange coming from Ahsoka's normally calm demeanor, it was almost like she was complaining to him about the situation.

"She passed out for a moment and came to almost immediately when I took it from her hand, she's very connected to it but yea, it's odd." Lindmon swerved around several speeders as they gained slowely on the renegade speeder. The flashing lights of the police speeders keeping pace with them.

"It's odd because it's not her's Lieutenant." Ahsoka shouted over the wind. She deftly shifted her weight to stay upright during Lindmon's hairpin turns. The chase beginning to become more compact as Lindmon's speeder closed on the runaway vehicle, while the law enforcement speeders attempted to box him in slowly.

"Yea I wouldn't imagine she built it herself!" Lindmon shouted over the sound of deflecting blaster fire. Ahsoka's blades swept around her, a laser ricoching off her saber and into the police vehicle behind them, the blaster bolt bounced off the chassis, forcing to speeder to sweep out of the lane and force themselves back on track, slowing them down slightly.

"I think...it might be Ezra's." Ahsoka said solemnly. Her tone was low as if she didn't want it to be true. She continued to swing one of her sabers to meet the law enforcements blaster bolts as she locked the activator on her left hand saber. Ahsoka slung it through the air, the white saber tumbling over itself until it impaled the left repulser node of the speeder behind them. The speeder burped a plume of dark smoke and the stabilizer exploded, causing the ship to twist into a slow spiral. Ahsoka snatched her saber as she called it back to her hand, the law enforcement speeder tumbling out of sight.

The renegade speeder took a hard turn, slipping around the corner of a building. "Hang on tight!" Lindmon shouted, pushing their own speeder into the turn. As they cleared the building they were met with the headlights of another speeder, he slammed down on the controls, forcing the speeder into a tight corkscrew around the civilian vehicle. As the speeder reached its peak Ahsoka's grip failed on the slippery handles. Lindmon's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist as they finished the tumble and she falls back into the seat.

"Whew I need to get one of these." Lindmon said, smiling. It was one of the few times Ahsoka had seen him smile, his usual demeanor either serious or exasperated. The second police cruiser flew around the corner moments later, the vehicle taking the turn wide, sparks flew off the side as it slid along the side of the building next to it. Gripp's speeder suddenly dove, making a bee line for the undercities, Lindmon dropped his in turn. "Bad call Gripp." Lindmon said to himself, the speeder accelerating faster now with the assist from gravity. "We're going to come over top of them quickly when they even out, be ready to hop on them. The window for this is going to be slim."

Gripp pulled up and the speeder screamed as it made the adjustment, Lindmon pulled up only a moment after, slamming foreword, the two speeders now perfectly on top of each other. Lindmon pushed his forward, getting ahead by just enough as Ahsoka lept down from the speeder and into the back seat. The two gangsters in the backseat barely had time to shout as her lightsabers swept through their blasters, shattering the weapons, she delivered a quick hilt smash, knocking the two unconscious. She turned around to the Rodian who was only now realizing that she was in the speeder with him. Her lightsaber came to rest next to his shoulder, buzzing softly. "That's enough running Gripp." She said quietly.

Gripp slowly raised his hands, the threat of being bisected by a lightsaber to great even for him. The speeder warbled to a slow stop, drifting off the traffic lane and stalling next to a tall glass spire. Ahsoka lifted the target up by his red jacket and tossed him into the speeder that Lindmon pulled up next to her. "You move, or try to jump out and I'll make you wish you hadn't tried it." Ahsoka said as she stood over Gripp in the speeder, jabbing her white blade down at him.

As soon as the pair got in Lindmon slammed it into gear and rocketed forward, the second police vehicle coming back into range. "Sul, track our signal, we have the target and are moving now, local law doesn't like us right now, need to get rid of one more vehicle and we're ready for a sweep pickup."

Sulahaan's voice crackles over the comms. "Roger That sssir, you should know, Ssssabine isn't doing well."

Ahsoka looked down at Lindmon, worry strewn across her face. Lindmon nodded slowely.

"Ten-four, we will make this quick. Hold on Ahsoka, Gripp, if you don't want to fall forty stories to an untimely demise I suggest you do the same." Lindmon pushed down on the reverse, slowing the speeder down exponentialy with a hard jerk, causing the Rodian to slam his face into the seat In front of him, his head lulled to the side as the speeder rolled into a hard spin. the police vehicle rocketed past them and slowed down to turn. After the clean hairpin turn the repulsors flared, sending the speeder hurtling back towards the main byway. The police vehicle faded out of view as Lindmon took another hard turn, the _Zephyr_ coming into view. The rear ramp has already opened and Reed sat inside the main entry way as the group approached. They pulled in behind the shuttle and Ahsoka waved her hand, beads of sweat forming on her brow as she lifted the Rodian out of his seat and into the back of the ship before jumping in behind him. Lindmon stood in his seat, prepping for his own dismount. He slammed the breaks hard and jumped, the force of the break throwing him into the back of the shuttle where he rolled to a stop unceremoniously against a wall.

Ahsoka took a moment to secure Gripp, tying his hands together with a small cord and placing him in the holo conference room. "Sul! We're all on board, get us out of the system before someone decides to bring starfighters at us!" She shouted to the cockpit urgently.

Giz sat next to Sabine as she lay on the floor in the common area, her head cushioned by some packs and hard plates from the cabinets. "Hey Lieutenant..." She said weakly as Lindmon raised himself up from the wall he had tumbled in to. Giz looked at Lindmon as he struggled to right himself and mouthed the words 'Med-facility'. He identified the urgency in her face, the damage Sabine endured seem to be beyond the realms of the med supplies they had brought with them. Even if they get to the hospital in time, it may take a week or more for recovery.

"Sul where's the nearest system with med tanks?" Lindmon shouted to the cockpit as he stumbled to his feet. The shuttle shifted hard, heading for orbit.

"If we're wanting to maintain her ssstatus Lothal is our best bet! About a day hyperssspace travel!" Sul shouted from the cockpit.

"Nothing closer? At this stage I don't care about the record!" Lindmon shouted, moving to Sabine's side. Her breathing ragged and skin pale.

"There's a medical fleet enroute" Sul responded, the ship breaking atmosphere.

"Get us there, we can worry about the drop once she's in a tank." Lindmon cried out. Reed chirpped several times, plugging himself into a hub.

"Coordinates plugged in, path set, let'ss hope thissss compressor works!" The shuttle shuddered for a moment before the tone for hyperspace sounded and after a moment the Zephyr lurched foreword before settling out. "We're in, eta sssix hours Lieutenant." Sul said from the cockpit.

As soon as they broke into hyperspace, Ahsoka rushed over to Sabine laying on the floor of the shuttle. She kneeled down near Sabine's head and looked at Lindmon. "I'm going to try and induce a healing trance." She said bluntly, "It's more useful on surface wounds and injuries like that, but it may keep her from getting worse for now."

Ahsoka breathed steadily for several minutes, focusing inwards on herself. Willing the force to move through every cell in her body, infusing her body with the warm energy. Lindmon could feel her presence condensing and the force flowing throughout her like a river moving into each limb. Ahsoka touched her fingertips gently to Sabine's temples and she gasped softly in response. The flow of energy pouring through her aching body like a salve. They stayed like that for several minutes until Lindmon realized that they may stay in the trance until they arrived at the medical fleet. Their breathing was slow, exhaling over the course of a few minutes before one of them began to inhale again.

The flight went uneventfully. Shortly after their departure Gripp was tied up and cuffed for extra measure, Reed placed on watch. He came to about forty-five minutes into the flight and continued to shout and bemoan his situation. He was soon there after transferred to the airlock to cut down on the noise. The shuttle hyperspace tone filled the space towards the end of the six hours as the shuttle lurched once more out of hyperspace.

Floating before them was a giant station, surrounded by republic ships. As they approached several X-wings flew out and moved in to escort positions. Lindmon sat in the co-pilot seat and radiod in their landing codes. "This is Lieutenant Lindmon Crest, shuttle T6-373. Requesting immediate medical assistance upon docking for an injured crew member, human female, severe concussion and multiple electrical burns."

"You're cleared to dock Lieutenant, bay 3, medical transport is enroute to meet you." Came the response. As he exited the cockpit and back into the common area Ahsoka and Giz were already transferring her to a gurney. Ahsoka leaned against a wall, visibly exhausted from her hours of focus. She hadn't stopped her healing until just moments prior. Giz stroked Sabine's hair tenderly, the worry passing from her in waves.

The shuttle settled down into the hangar and moments later as the ramp opened two Mon Calamari board and attach several transport nodes to the gurney, lifting Sabine off the floor. The pair exited the shuttle with Giz close on their heels. Ahsoka turned to follow but Lindmon placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax for abit, that can't have been easy on you. We won't be staying long, as soon as I have confirmation that she's stable we have to go do this job..."

She turned to him and nodded slowely, rubbing her temples tenderly before shuffling past him and into the crew quarters.

Lindmon walked down the ramp approached the deck operator, A slender Cathar.

"If we can get some supplies, a refresh of rations, the works." The Cathar nodded, motioning to several of his crew to get to work.

Giz followed the Mon Calamari technicians as they wheeled Sabine across the halls of the Republic station. They rushed the gurney into a lift and directed Giz into a separate waiting room, not wanting to contaminate the sterile environment of the bacta chamber. The med chamber was centered around a large glass tube, wide and tall enough to fit almost any size of intelligent creature. Trays of medical probes and monitors filled the room, but it was otherwise bare. The old ways of surgical operations replaced with the unique healing properties of bacta. Surgery still occurred but in rare form and never without the assistance of a droid, only procedures like open fractures, transplants and amputations required intervention.

The bulbous black fish eyes of the Mon Calamari technicians scanned over Sabine's body as they stripped her armor and dumped her weapons into a metal bin. Some patches of her under-suit peeled away sections of skin, the high temperature ion burst had melted the fabric. The thick purpling of most of her torso and right shoulder showed the trauma of her thirty foot drop after being blasted out of the sky. A medical droid swooped over as she lay on the table groaning, it's long spindly arms sweeping health scanners across her body.

From the viewing room Giz could see a thick blueish colored Mon Calamari step into the room. A white and tan vest pulled around his large stomach. "What's the injury report?" The Mon Cal asked the room.

"Doctor Lokbil." The medical droid replied. "The patient seems to have undergone severe trauma, a concussion and several minor bone fractures." The droid explained.

Dr. Lokbil looked over at the screen as the medical droid's data scrolled across. The bone structure readings seemed to be more dense than an average human females. He walked over to the bin and kicked it, shifting its contents around. "Increase the kavam dosage to sixty three percent, and induce the patient with a head injury apparatus for the concussion." He stepped away, allowing the droid to flawlessly execute the insertion of a long rubber tube into Sabine's nose and mouth. She should be able to handle a more extreme dosage, he thought as he stepped out of the room, letting the technicians and medical droid take control of the bacta mixture of the tank. He waited for a few minutes in the prep room, removing his gloves and drinking several long gulps of water. Dr. Lokbil continued to the patient's viewing room just as the viscous fluid of the bacta finished filling the tank around the patient.

A medical droid stepped into the viewing area with a small data pad. He handed it to Giz who didn't take her eyes off Sabine. "Initial findings for your records ma'am."

Giz held the datapad and stood there for several minutes before Lindmon's voice came over her comms.

"Giz, we are stocked and ready to move."

"She's in the tank, I have the record...we have to be back before she wakes up..."

"We will do our best, this should be quick and simple. We've already sent Teroch the data for the drop point, he's going to meet us in a system near Lothal. Return to the ship Giz, we will be back soon."

She looked into the chamber again, placing her hand on the glass. "On my way sir..." she turned and exited the room, passing through the long hallways back to the hangar.

The _Saqorian Zephyr_ arrived at a small system of planets near the Lothal sector. Lindmon and his crew, minus Sabine, arrived above a small blue planet. Teroch instructed that they would be meeting aboard the Blood Raptor's cruiser for the drop off. The trip took over fifteen agonizing hours, during hyperspace the crew kept mostly silent. Ahsoka rested the entire trip, inducing a healing trance was very taxing on the body and even more so to transfer the effect to another person in distress.

"We've got a ship coming out of hyperssspace now sir." Sulahaan said to Lindmon. Just a moment later a large Interceptor-class frigate jumped into the area above the _Zephyr_. The heavily armored capital ship had been retrofitted with additional turbo-laser emplacements to compliment its hefty load of proton torpedo launchers. "Ship identifiesss as the Blood Raptor's _Vanguard_ , this is our drop off."

"Hail them, let's get this done." Lindmon sighed, as the connection with the bridge of the interceptor went through. A gruff Trandoshan answered, the image of him raising in the center of the table. The huge reptilian was missing an eye, half his face carved vertically from the jaw. He growled as the image of Lindmon came up on his end.

"You're the ones that have our man?" The Trandoshan asked through the holotable. "Hurry up and dock, Kad has been waiting for this prize too long."

Sulahaan shifted the _Zephyr_ in line with the _Vanguard_ , a large docking port connecting with the side of the shuttle. It's airlocks hissed as the seal magnetized shut. The side port of the _Zephyr_ slid open revealing the interior of the _Vanguard_ , it's surfaces charred and rusted from age. Waiting by the door was a large and muscular Mandalorian. His armor distinct and battle scarred, colored deep green and lined with faded copper.

Lindmon met the Mandalorian at the hatch, Sulahaan beside him holding tight to the small Rodian, now trembeling in the Prime's large clawed hand. "Found something you were looking for." Lindmon said, motioning to Sul who shoved the Rodian towards the armored man.

The Mandalorian grabbed Gripp roughly, pushing him up against the bulkhead of the ship. He grabbed a small device and pressed it against the Rodian's finger. After a small blood sample was taken a green light flashed and a small confirmation beep chimed. "This is him alright, thanks for retrieving him. It pained me to hear that ad'ika was injured trying to get him." Old Teroch said genuinely. He turned the Rodian and shoved him into the waiting arms of a few Blood Raptor mercenaries.

Gripp struggled in their grasp, shouting at the faces of his new captors, "Kark uba kung! Dobra tee heceseh bai chateua!"

A different man in Mandalorian armor approached from the side, Kad Skyl, one of the senior operators of the Blood Raptors. He strode towards Gripp, his armor was an intimidating mix of red and black. The long red striping that cut through the black armor plates, similar to blood dripping from a carved beast.

"No...no you aren't going to die. Not soon at least." He said menacingly, Kal flicked out his knife from its sheath and dragged it across the Rodian's face. "You see, the _Vanguard_ has a pretty sustainable bacta chamber here. So first I'm gonna beat you, until your little black eyes feel like they're about to pop. Then I'll get you all healed up, it might take a few days, a week at the most." Kal gripped the Rodian's shoulder hard, his fingers digging into the soft muscle. "Then I'm going to cut you, nice long cuts down your arms, your legs, everywhere. And again I'll make it all go away. And again. And again. And again." He repeated his voice rising in anger with each sentence until he was shouting, overcome with rage. "The only way you're going to die is when you choke on your own suffering!"

Old Teroch pulled out a small data chip from his pouch and handed it to Lindmon. He felt cold as he accepted it, painfully aware of the suffering he imparted on another creature. "Normally there'd be money for a job like this, but this was what we agreed upon for the contract." Teroch said to Lindmon. "When she wakes up tell her to come have a drink with Old Teroch again sometime."

(Huttese translations)

"Are you the one with the goods?"

"If you have my coin I am."

"Gordo said we were meeting up with a Cathar, I didn't believe him at first but here you are, and pretty too"

"I have the credits of you have the goods"

"All four, ready for you to take. Once I'm payed that is."

"Looks like your friend isn't very lucky today."

"A Mandalorian and a thief? Times must be hard for you."

"What in the, hey! What is this?"

"I am being hunted! Send the pay police to help me!"

"Fuck you skum! I am not afraid to die!"


	9. Consequences of action

(Since you have made it this far, please leave a review or send a PM with any feedback or suggestions!)

The week went by slowely, the crew having returned to the Haven Sentry to wait for Sabine to recover. Very little talking occurred through this period. Sul spent his days with the ship, tweaking the systems and taking note of deficiencies. Ahsoka spent even more time meditating when she wasn't busy teaching Lindmon the ways of the Force. He was coming to understand it's flow better and successfully lifted his lightsaber off the ground for a moment. Lindmon spent his days studying the saber and attempting to determine the faults in it's design leading to it inactivity. After replacing an energy coil and several of the main electronics it was now usable. Lightsaber training itself was going slowely, although he was a quick learner when it came to anticipating blaster fire. They had spent a good portion of time with a blast helmet and training droid. Giz spent the majority of her time in the wards watching over Sabine as she floated unconscious in the bacta tank. Lindmon had finally gone through the process of submitting transfer requests for Sabine to be considered on the crew, after a thorough ass chewing from Admiral C'est.

"We'll have you present the data you've acquired in a few days. Mon Mothma and many other senators and admirals will be there to make a decision on how to proceed." Admiral Cest Sev'esa told Lindmon over the holo projection, his fur still bristling at the subject. "I will be among them too, of course."

The attention this Imperial relay station had been generating surprised Lindmon. Differing political views seemed too have stirred up in regards to how the New Republic should deal with the Imperial Remanent. Many seemed to be opposed to taking action against them, declaring that chasing the last bastion of the defeated Empire into the Unknown Regions would be no better than the previous rulers, content to let their small faction control what little systems they could sustain with what they had left.

Most of the military and other more aggressive senators had been placing themselves in favor of military action against the Imperial Remanent. Rumors from spies and other side sources weaved a grim story. That the Moffs of the Empire had reconsolidated power in the safe haven of the Unknown Region under new leadership. Communication blackouts and patrol blockades among the region, along with aggressive capturing of mineral rich systems showed that the Imperials were not as meek as the other pacifist senators may have wanted to believe.

"As for your transfer request," Sev'esa continued, looking down at the datapad. "It seems it was denied. Apparently Lothal has had some security breach recently, Governor Azadi was apparently quite upset when the request was processed."

"Security breach? In what way?" Lindmon tapped several keys on the holo table, attempting to access the reports. A red flash blinked over the screen, the words "Acess denied" flashing multiple times. This wasn't going to be good news for Sabine when she got well.

"With all due respect sir, our mission has been difficult up to this point and our continued success relies on her participation in this matter. We couldn't have gotten this data without her help and she has become an integral member of my crew. If we lose her not only will she herself suffer a significant moral drop but my crew as well and that could seriously hinder our endeavors. Over the course of the last few months the importance of the Ambassador's mission has become clearer, the Republic could suffer greatly if Ezra is not found or even worse, falls to the dark side and aids the empire in their pursuits." Lindmon pleaded. Ahsoka stepped quietly from around the corner from the crew quarters, she stayed there, listening. Lindmon locked eyes with her for a moment, determination on his face. "We need her sir. I will personally go to Lothal and handle the security issue until a new interim security officer can be appointed."

"Do not tell me what you need Lieutenant!" Sev'esa shouted as he rose from his seat, his fur quaking with anger. "Last I checked you were under MY command! Your orders are to find mission capable data on the Imperial Remanent, not to prattle on about dark side nonsense!" Admiral Sev'esa had already reprimanded Lindmon regarding the blatant kidnapping of Gripp Jippeek and evasion of law enforcement from a non Republic controlled system. Dealings with bounty hunters and mercenaries were not viewed in high regard from New Republic standards, especially after Sev'esa correctly assumed that the Rodian was basically sent to his death. He jabbed a finger at Lindmon threateningly, "I have it on record that you will be at the meeting on Coruscant in three standard days. If I get word that you disobeyed my orders to galavant around on some back water planet, your crew's morale will be the least of your problems." Admiral Cest Sev'esa slapped the disconnect button angrily, cutting off the communication.

Lindmon stood quietly for a second, the tension flowing off him in waves. He rubbed his forehead and ran his hands through his hair. He turned to the counter and poured himself a tall drink, sitting down in the seat near the holotable. He took a long drink and set the glass down, leaning back in his chair.

"We're getting a lot of flack for this whole debacle. I'm not even sure they are going to keep me on this mission, much less in command of this ship. Hell I don't even know if I'm going to be able to keep my damn rank...FUCK" he slammed his hands down on the table in frustration before putting his head in his hands.

"Lindmon, there are more important things than rank when it comes to the Force." Ahsoka sayid sympathetically, "This mission was dangerous, but it was one of the only options you were given. You made sure everyone got out alive, had you not been mindful of your comrades and trusted the Force to guide you...things could have ended a lot worse." She finished, joining Lindmon at the table.

"I'm not a Jedi Ahsoka! I'm a Republic Lieutenant! Imperial defector! This is all I have!" He shouted, Ahsoka took a step back, the stress obvious on Lindmon's face. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. That was rude and uncalled for...you're just trying to help I know. But how is it you try to do everything as right as you can and you still end up so low..." he took another long pull from his glass. "We sent a man to his death. We blew a police speeder out of the sky, endangered countless lives in our pursuit. And all that we have is a battered and broken comrade and a chance that everything we've done to find this Bridger kid going down the drain..."

He sat for a long moment, the silence palpable between them.

"Did we do the right thing...could we have done it differently..."

"There's always another way, for better or worse. This was what we chose, and for now we just have to be grateful we all came out alive." Ahsoka said somberly, "I know, more than I'd like, about the cost of choosing the wrong path."

"Your right..." Lindmon rubbed his face before taking another drink. "So... tell me what happened. This thing you blame yourself for." Lindmon shifted over offering her the other seat. "Cant be as bad as sending a man to a slow and painful death can it...?" He chuckled slightly, the morbidity of the joke weighing down on him.

Lindmon could feel Ahsoka almost physically recoil at the question. Her eyes flit around the room as if she was trying to find some other topic to bring up in substitution.

"My old master..." She said nervously, almost painfully, unwilling to continue speaking. "He was a powerful Jedi, back in the days of the old Republic. The Jedi code mandated that all attachments were strictly forbidden but even so...he fell in love. I had a feeling-" She shook her head, cutting off her own sentence. "No. I knew, that they were together in secret. Both of them, they-they were my friends I trusted them with my life! I couldn't just turn on them!" Ahsoka cried out as she recalled her memory of the past.

"In the end I did nothing...I found the Jedi order I believed in so much, shrouded in lies and deceit. My master pleaded me to stay, that together we could change things." Ahsoka struggled to continue, Lindmon could see her conflict hanging over her like a plague. "I learned later that my master was tortured by visions of his wife's impending death and he turned to the dark side to try and prevent it..."

"Ah..." Lindmon said, almost stunned. "I'm sorry...that's...a lot." They sat quietly for a moment. "You win, yours is way worse." He said with a forced smile and a chuckle, trying to clear the air. "I shouldn't have pried. But, at the same time, you can't blame yourself for that. Love is a powerful emotion, and with all you've been talking about with the Force, emotion is a very strong affector. You did the best you could, did what you thought was right. Just like I did..." he sighed.

"Shit happens. I have a feeling what happened would have happened regardless. You said the dark side pulls constantly, trying to turn you against yourself and others." He walked over to the weapons closet nearby and pulled his lightsaber out.

"You wanna spar abit? Get our minds off things?" He smiled genuinely, the alcohol aiding in his emotional recovery.

Ahsoka nodded solemnly, removing her own saber from her hip and activating it.

Their sabers clashed, following the simple routine Ahsoka had taught him. White saber locking against white saber briefly before pulling apart and striking again. "That's mostly my point Lieutenant, love is a strong emotion. Especially for Jedi, it's not like they are forbidden from feelings. It's just wrong for them to act on them. I knew this and I didn't even question it...they were my family." Ahsoka said, continuing in her lamentations. "I abandoned them."

"I'm sorry..." She shook her head, regaining her normal vigor. "It's all in the past now. I guess this mission has just been reminding me of them."

"Emotions are strong but I don't think it's healthy to just lock them out. I mean they're what make us who we are. As long as you keep them from corrupting you they could be a force for good." The sabers sparked off each other as they met once more. "Pun intended."

"Have you found it easy to keep your emotions in check Lieutenant?" Ahsoka reprimanded, for Lindmon to continue in his training this lesson was paramount. "Your feelings for your crew are strong, can you say that you'll always make the correct choice if their lives are in danger?" Their blades clashed again and again, the pace increasing as Ahsoka tried to drive the implication home. "Now imagine it's someone you love. A person you've devoted your life to, someone you would do anything for, search the edges of the galaxy for. Would you be able to keep yourself from doing anything to save them?"

Lindmon met here blade with a similar ferocity, their conversation almost coming to life with each clash of blades.

"There's a difference between unchecked emotions and the conjunction of logic. Allowing your emotions to control you will get you into difficult spots, but allowing yourself to feel isn't wrong, preventing yourself from being lost to those feelings, making decisions void of reason or thought, and allowing your emotions to control you is."

Their blades clashed again and Ahsoka locked the white blades together, thrusting the conjoined power of energy downwards. Lindmon's center of gravity pivoted and he shifted off balance, Ahsoka's lock bringing him close to her face. "Your words are strong, but actions are a different thing all together." Ahsoka said, breaking her hold on the sabers and twirling her blade around in a flourish "You use your gifted ability of persuasion to deflect the conversation when things start to stir your emotions. You're afraid of them, and think that you can control them with logic."

Lindmon swirled his blade over his head, bringing it downwards.

"I control my emotions with my logic. I lose my temper like anybody else but I don't let those emotions control my decisions." He deflected a blow from the right, bringing his blade down into a low sweep. The training motions had given way to instinctual movements, both focusing more on their conversation than where their saber was going or where the opponent's was coming from. Ahsoka took note of how Lindmon reacted to the position of her blade a moment before it was there, blocking her strikes with only some effort.

"Then why do you keep deflecting when I'm trying to teach you that there is a bigger issue to this mission than just finding Ezra?" Ahsoka demanded, "What you've learned, what I've taught you...use them to make sense of the situation instead of pulling away because you're afraid that it will endanger your crew." She altered the pace of the sparring, leaving gaps in her defenses baiting a thrust. When Lindmon jabbed his saber in the opening, Ahsoka twisted her saber to intercept while pivoting her body leaving her in a position to riposte. A more advanced technique dangerous if mistimed, she would have to see if he caught on.

Lindmon's focus faltered briefly as he struggled with what Ahsoka had said, he swung around right into her trap, as she flicked her blade around his it flew from his hand, deactivating and clattering against the nearby wall. She raised her blade in front of her and deactivated it as well while he walked slowely over and picked up the hilt.

"You're talking in circles and I can't catch the problem. Something bigger than Ezra? A bigger issue than a lost Jedi?" He walked back in front of her.

"You talk about your master, how he made these connections and they pushed him down this dark path. Are you trying to say that it could be me next? If I don't keep it in check? You tell me it's ok to feel emotions, but not to act upon them. These past couple months have taught me a lot, and one of those main things is that if anything were to happen to my crew, I would go above and beyond to save them. But the way your saying things...is that not the right answer? I've spent my whole life keeping my emotions in check as best I can, focusing on the logical course of action, is that not the Jedi way?"

The stress of the whole situation, coupled with his small buzz was making it hard for Lindmon to follow Ahsoka's criptic questions.

"You need to always been mindful of what I've been teaching you. Not controlling your emotions but living in harmony with them. Ensure that your choices and your attachments don't lead you astray." Ahsoka said, partly answering the question. "But its not you I'm worried about in this case, it's Ezra." She said warningly.

Her words caused a revelation of memories to slam into Lindmon's consciousness. The past several weeks rushing through him. Ever since they began the mission Ahsoka had begun to show signs of worry, now he was just beginning to realize what about.

 _'The more I learn about this mission the more I wish I could change the way things turned out'_

 _'The lightsaber is the heart of the Jedi'_

 _'That...belongs...to me.'_

"You have this amazing sense of precognition when it comes to conversations. As if you know where they are going to lead." Ahsoka said as Lindmon continued to search his memories. "It's like a danger sense similar to anticipating blaster fire, yet you use it unconsciously to avoid topics you think will lead to a painful outcome."

 _'Why does Sabine, who is not a Jedi, have a lightsaber?'_

 _'I suppose that the question of the hour. I don't think we should stay here long, I think we've attracted unwanted attention.'_

 _'I think...it might be Ezra's.'_

 _'Hang on tight!' He shouts pushing their own speeder into a hard turn._

"You're trying to control your emotions instead of experiencing them. Living with them." She continued. "Are you avoiding it because you're afraid it will affect the people you're close to?"

 _'I guess this mission has just been reminding me of them.'_

 _'My old master acted on his attachments, and eventually turned to the dark side to try and prevent her death.'_

 _'A person you've devoted your life to, someone you would do anything for, search the edges of the galaxy for. Would you be able to keep yourself from doing anything to save them?'_

 _Don't say it_ , Lindmon thought.

"I'm worried...that Ezra might be falling into the same trap as my master. Or already has. Strong attachments can lead a Jedi quickly down a dark path." Ahsoka said seriously. "I won't let history repeat itself. After we find him, we have to be prepared, if necessary...to kill Ezra Bridger."

Lindmon leaned back against the counter behind him.

"I was afraid you were going to say that..."

He ran his hand through his hair again. He turned back to his glass and took a swig from it. Sitting back down at the table.

"Is it really so difficult to come back from that? To turn away from the dark side once you've fallen into it?" He leaned back in his chair. Resigned to having the hard conversation.

Ahsoka thought for a long moment, trying to form an explanation for Lindmon's question. "I was never able to convince my old master to turn away from the darkness. In his mind he had destroyed his former self, discarding his name and memories in favor of power and hatred." She explained sadly, "Once you go down that path, once it takes hold of you...it's like being crushed in the depths of a great ocean. Cold and suffocating until the darkness is all you know."

Ahsoka saw Lindmon's worried face and attempted to placate the sour mood that she had created. "I'm not suggesting that our goal should be to murder Ezra, he's a friend to me and many others from back in the days of the Rebellion. It's something that we need to prepare for, is all i'm saying..."

"We can prepare all we want, that isn't going to make that any easier to actually do." He stood back up, reactivating the lightsaber. "Let's get some more practice in. No telling how much longer we're going to have this opportunity."

Across the large station, Giz sat in the observation room. She had been sitting here since they had relanded on the station, distancing herself from the chaos swirling around their recent mission. Sabine had started looking much better over the week, the bruises going from a deep purple to a yellow and finally the natural pink.

Dr. Lokbil strode into the bacta chamber room examining the reading that scrolled down the side of the wall mounted monitor. The increased kavam dosage had accelerated her healing as he anticipated, her wounds had fully healed yesterday morning. He always took a cautious approach when it came to head trauma, and kept the patient for an extra few days. He turned his bulbous black eyes to the tank and inspected the specimen inside.

The older Mon Calamari wondered curiously what kind of human the person inside was, one of his personal pass times as he worked, he found it relaxing and thought provoking. Trying to assume the life of the patients that came into his care. It seemed most of his assumptions were partially accurate, throughout the recovery process she displayed no signs of stress from the altered dosage of bacta. Despite her generally slight frame she must have been some form of soldier. The strange armor she was brought in with, and her physical data made that easy for him though so he didn't regard that as much of an accomplishment. Lokbil didn't require much time to diagnose his patients, his decades of medical service allowed him the small time to surmise and create stories of his patients in his head as he worked.

He turned to the medical droid stationed in the room, "Stop administering the sedative to the patient." He ordered, turning on his heel to exit the room. "Move her to the recovery room and prepare discharge procedures."

 **Nar-Shadaa: Underbelly**

His teeth angrily gnashed at the plump gorg, tearing the leathery flesh and snapping through the tiny bones. A pale claw reseted the holo device on the table in front of him, playing the video over again. The grainy image shaky and bleached bright from the reflection of sunlight on a sheet of sand. After a few moments of the footage the holocamera adjusted to the brightness and the image came into focus. An execution skiff hovered above the infamous Sarlacc, he had heard of it in stories but even now after watching the video several times the thought of the creature made him uncomfortable. The idea of being kept alive by it's internal sacs while being digested for a hundred years was revolting and dishonorable. He watched intently as the scene he had been waiting for was about to unfold. A man in black twisted over the executioner, somersaulting through the air and snatching a small device from seemingly nowhere. His anger ignited in unison with the emerald blade. The man in Black slashed and riposted through his enemies aboard the skiff, slicing through with almost no resistance. One by one they fell, hot gouges smoking across their bodies, limbs tumbling away occasionally. The pale Trandoshan tossed another gorg snack into his fanged maw. He moved his left hand over the stump at his right shoulder. A small clawed protrusion poked out from it, almost a foot long now. The regrowth process was agonizing, a constant reminder of his failure.

When Tssosk had told his clanmates of his defeat and the strange weapon that had felled him they had given him this recording. The weapons were certainly of the same design, the familiar current of energy stretching from the hilt. He took note of the differences in the hilt construction as well, the ancient weapon must have been ceremonial, similar to his T'doshok Chalon blade. In any case he had underestimated it's power. Tssosk's scales were tough enough to survive a strike from a vibroblade, and yet this weapon sliced clean through his arm.

The comm buzzed and the image of another scaled Trandoshan replaced the video he had been studying. Bossk, he had known him since they were both hatchlings and even through his infamy he had made efforts to assist clan-mates. "My slicers were able to find information on your prey." Bossk said, never one for pleasantries, he alway cut right into the topic at hand. "This was the warrior that escaped your claws. Sabine Wren." He said as several images and data files slipped into view, projected in front of Tssosk.

He had gotten too zealous in his hunt and the Scorekeeper had punished his naivety. But still she demanded a higher status of glory for Tssosk, he would not fail again. He must study his prey carefully, examine her strengths and find additional weaknesses. Wait for another opportunity to present itself. "Thank you brother, I will use what you have gifted to me to great effect." Tssosk hissed, "I will track her until my glory is achieved. I only worry that the trail has gone cold and my shame eternal."

"Worry not brother...When my slicer was pulling this data from Lothal, he also intercepted a request for her transfer to a New Republic ship. The file was deleted almost immediately but he was able to get a name." Bossk snarled with satisfaction. "The _Saqorian Zephyr_."

Bossk cut the transmission with his usual abruptness and the holo switched back to the files of Sabine. He glared at her image, his rage building as he fantasized about the hunt. Tssosk roared a deep thunderous shout, flinging his basket of gorgs through the holo projection. It clattered against the wall and the slimy creatures spilled across the floor. His hunt continued, redemption in the Scorekeeper's eyes close at hand.

Tssosk stalked over to his spilled gorg basket, snarling and salivating. He leaned low, snatching groups of the creatures into his fanged jaws, spewing their guts and blood. The juices spilled out of his mouth and poured onto the floor.

"I'll demand for a bounty on their ship." He growled, chunks of gorg splattering out of his mouth. "My hunt will be ceaseless."

Tssosk clawed at the ground as he continued to feed on the squirming gorgs. His anger and excitement throbbing in his mind. "Once my arm heals. I'll cut you to shreds! I'll tear off your arms!" His screams echoed in the chamber like a caged beast slamming against it's bars. "I'll kill you! I'll eat you!"

Sabine's eyes snapped awake, the involuntary panic of waking up submerged in fluid immediately set in. Her hands flailed in the tank, pushing away the bubbles that cycled through the tank as she looked for something to grab onto. Sabine pressed against the glass tank and felt the face mask attached to her head, her disorientation fading as she began to realize where she was.

Swimming upwards in the tube, she burst through the surface into the second floor of the bacta chamber, hanging onto the floor with her arms. The second floor room was for medical personnel and patients only, a sterile white room filled with the solutions needed to create a suitable bacta mixture. At the center was the hole where the tank was inserted into the viewing and diagnostic room below.

She reached up to her face and, against the protests of the Mon Cal technicians, ripped the mask off her head. Pulling the long feeding and oxygen tubes that snaked into her stomach and lungs, out through her mouth, coughing and gagging as they were removed. She didn't like bacta healing, Sabine preferred to let her wounds heal naturally overtime. Suspended mostly naked inside a chamber for days or weeks, it was embarrassing. If she was in here she must have been hurt badly.

The Mon Calamari technicians rushed over to help her out of the tube, carrying blankets to absorb the viscous fluid, mumbling for her to keep still and stay calm. Sabine flicked her now longer black hair, spraying them with the bacta fluid. She was annoyed, and cold. Bacta was kept at lower than freezing temperature for the mixture to stay effective. In one swift motion she hoisted herself out of the tank and into the second floor chamber, splattering the bacta on the floor. Sabine grabbed one of the blankets and attempted to dry off the icy fluid, looking around the room to see any kind of labeling to indicate what facility she was at.

"You're aboard the _Haven_ _Sentry_ ma'am." One of the techs informed, waving a med scanner over her. "Do you know your name?"

 _Haven_ _Sentry_? She didn't know where that was, there were Mon Calamari here. That means it was probably Republic. "Yes." She responded unhelpfully.

They handed her a thick warm medical gown to wear and moved back to work, needing to sterilize and purge the bacta for future use. Sabine discarded her immodest clothes onto the floor with a gross slimy smack and donned the pleasantly comfy garment. Sabine glimpsed herself in a mirror as she started to make for the door. Running a hand through her now black hair, the bacta had dissolved the artificial dyes and returned it to its natural color. She huffed and stepped outside, turning to the stairs leading to the normal facilities of the station.

Giz scrambled to her feet as Sabine thrashed in the tank, pressing herself against the glass, she watched her feet disappear out of the top of the tank. She picked up her satchel and rushed out the door to her left into the patient dispatch room. Moments later Sabine walked down the long stairwell and through two sets of swinging doors, meant to maintain the sterility of the environment. As she pushed through the last doors Giz swept her up in her arms, embracing her tightly.

"Your ok! I was so worried! When we got you here you were-it was-I was so scared!" She said rushedly, her voice catching as tears welled in her eyes. "We got you here as fast as we could, we couldn't afford taking you back to Lothal, it was going to take to long."

Sabine pet the back of her friend's head. "I'm fine, how long was I out?" She said, pulling away from Giz.

"A little over a week. A lot has happened...we couldn't keep it a secret, your envolvment. L-T put in a transfer request for you but he's in a lot of hot water after our stunt on Nar-Shadaa. I'm not really sure what else is happening, I've been here the whole time waiting for you, I was worried you weren't going to wake up or if you did, if nobody was here...I don't know" Giz broke down again, her fur wet with tears and left over bacta fluid.

Sabine's eyes narrow as Giz described the situation, for a moment it looked like she was angry. Instead Sabine sighed, it's not like she expected her involvement to be a secret forever but this was a little sooner than she would've liked. Hopefully Governor Azadi was able to get someone to handle the security division in time. "Come on Giz," Sabine said, patting her on the head. "Let's go figure out what's going on then."

Ahsoka and Lindmon's sabers clashed once more, both pulling away, sweating profusely. Their duel had gone on for quite some time, both venting their frustrations with the hissing of plasma against plasma.

Ahsoka lets out a sigh, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "How about we take some time and meditate, afterwards we can do some manipulation training?" She extinguished her saber with a hiss and holstered it.

"Yea. I can-" He began before the crackle of the holotable communications interrupted him.

"L-T this is Giz, Sabine's awake and we're on our way." The voice came through. Lindmon walked over to the table and depressed a button.

"Roger That, were on the _Zephyr_ , let Sabine know we have a sit-rep for her when you arrive. And welcome back." He turned to Ahsoka. "She's ok, some good news finally." He said, relieved. "We can pick it up after?"

Ahsoka nodded and returned to the crew quarters to clean the sweat off and change.

Sabine continued down the hall with Giz, her bare feet taking her across the cold floor. She was nervous now that she was thinking of the impending sit-rep. Was everything okay? Did her injuries cause the target to get away?

She continued to worry as they reached hanger B3, about the mission and how Giz said their was trouble because of what they had done. She didn't understand, Sabine barely remembered what happened on Nar-Shadaa, after the weapons shop it was a haze. Sabine and Giz stepped up the ramp into the _Zephyr_ where Lindmon was waiting, he looked exhausted and sweat was beading on his forehead. This worried her even more, she'd never seen him stressed like this. Whatever was happening was serious and Sabine wasn't sure if it was going to be something she wanted to hear.

Lindmon retrieved a towel from a nearby cabinet, dabbing his forehead, he put his lightsaber on his belt clip and walked over to Sabine, clapping her on the shoulder.

"Damn is it good to see you. We were all worried sick, Giz more than any of us, she damn well slept in that observation deck." He chuckled slightly, the saber training had worked out a lot of his stress.

"Tell me what happened Lieutenant, I barely remember getting to Nar-Shadaa..." Sabine said solemnly as Lindmon wiped his sweat away. She hesitated for a moment afraid to ask the question that had been plaguing her. "We did get him right?"

"We did, although the brass isn't to happy we kidnapped a civilian and sent them to their death. I'm going to Courascant soon to deal with that, fortunately Ahsoka helped me relieve a lot of the stress I was having." He walked over to the counter and got a glass of water before stopping suddenly and turning around. "We were sparring, not-um-I realize how that sounded but-no-Just lightsabers." He blushed fiercely, turning away and chugging down the water, thoroughly embarrassed. Giz let out a giggle and nudged Sabine.

Lindmon finished the glass and wiped his forehead again. "Anyways! We did the drop, your friend gave us the data and sent his well wishes your way."

Sabine nearly collapsed with relief at the good news, the fact that the mission was completed regardless of her ineptitude made everything better. She settled into her relief and took the opportunity to tease her comrade, "Look, whatever you two do in your free time is on you." She taunted, raising her hands in the air. "I'm just glad you were able to get the mission done, I don't know what I would've done..."

Lindmon waved his hands, trying to brush it off "she's just my teacher, and a good friend, that's it. But yes, we were able to get it all taken care of. Unfortunately due to your medical status we had to bring you here and at that point there was no way to keep the brass from finding out you weren't on Lothal. Speaking of which, there was apparently a security breach, I don't know of what, it's classified beyond me, and needless to say, the admiral isn't planning to do me any favors."

The moment Lindmon finished speaking he knew that it was a mistake.

An immediate torrent of panic slammed into him from his recently recovered friend. Sabine's eyes were wide in distress, the thought of a security breach in the network she spent five years perfecting was her nightmare. She glanced at the holo table, Azadi wouldn't confirm or deny the breach or the nature of it over a holo communication, even to her. That was part of the protocol she implemented.

"You said you had to go to Coruscant. How soon?" She said, trying to keep her voice even. Sabine had a feeling it wouldn't allow Lindmon to detour the shuttle to Lothal. She carefully shifted her bare feet on the floor of the shuttle, her instincts screaming for her to scramble as fast as she could to Lothal.

Lindmon turned back to the cabinet and poured a stiff glass for her. "Three days. But if you need I can arrange for the _Zephyr_ and crew to take you back there to get things sorted out. This all is on me, so I don't intend to have you all trapped out there with me. I can get a shuttle." He handed her the glass and waveed his hand. "Go get dressed, you must be freezing. This will all work out. I hope."

She absentmindedly took the glass given to her and held it in her hands as Lindmon continued to speak. Her mind overwhelming itself with possible outcomes from a security breach. Was it just an internal error, someone slipping up that caused a breach of classified information? Or worse, Imperials trying to test their defenses, even though Lothal is an Outer Rim planet it's natural resources were rich for warfare technologies. If the Imperials were wanting to increase their star fighter production they might try to use Lothal again.

Again they would ravage the beautiful planet she had come to love so much. The huge mining trawlers tearing the golden plains and splintering the spine tree forests. The bright blue sky polluted with the gray fog of industry, the smog and foundry fires choking out the wildlife. It took five years of recovery efforts to even begin to restore Lothal, if the Imperials came back and kept hold of the planet it could undermine everything.

Three days...is that too long? If they're making a move all of a sudden and the breach wasn't identified it could be disastrous for the entire planet. When did the breach even happen, was it just while she was unconscious or was it even earlier? During the months of searching and she only found out now? She couldn't be sure, it was hard to think rationally through the panic. If she did take Lindmon's offer of the shuttle, they would get there significantly faster, but she wasn't sure there was a shuttle port on the station. If not, there's no way she could have Lindmon give up his shuttle and forgo his summons to Coruscant.

Sabine set down her glass, still untouched, and looked around for her effects that were removed when she arrived at the med station. She grabbed the satchel they were placed in and hoisted them over her shoulder. "Thanks Crest, but I think I need to go myself..." Sabine said as she moved quickly to the ramp, still wearing her medical clothing. She thought she remembered seeing an A-wing or two in a different hanger. If she could take one, their class-1 hyperdrives could carry her faster over the distance than the shuttle could.

The familiar tingle worked it's way down Lindmon's spine, he reached out with it, feeling the flow of energy around the room. The energy coming off of his friend was chaotic, hot, heavy "I leave that choice to you Sabine, but first, lay down, relax. If the issue was significant the Admiralty would have surely taken action to protect Lothal. Whatever has happened you have my full support. Whether I lead this ship or not, take her. That's an order Sabine." He said softly.

Sabine stopped at the ramp, Lindmon's urging giving her pause. He was adamant on her staying and taking the _Zephyr_ , but Giz had just mentioned he was in some kind of trouble already. Would taking the _Zephyr_ be a good idea? Either way she wasn't confident that the New Republic would be able to have help to spare even if they wanted to. The expansion of it's influence spreading across the galaxy rapidly as they overtook the previous Empire controlled systems.

"I'm sorry..." Sabine replied. "I just have to be sure."

With that she was gone, taking off down the hall in search of the A-wing she had spotted earlier.

Lindmon let out a long sigh. "I get the feeling I wasn't supposed to say that."

"It's alright LT, she knows what she's doing." Giz said, her eyes following Sabine out of the hangar. "I just hope she doesn't do anything rash."

"Knowing her, she will." Lindmon replied with a chuckle.

The crew had filtered back onto the _Zephyr_ as it departed from _Haven Sentry_ , jumping into hyperspace enroute to Courascant. The trip took about a day and a half, during which Lindmon continued training with Ahsoka, each of their sessions laden with a tinge or foreboding. Lindmon had relaid to Ahsoka what had happened. She had said that they needn't worry about Sabine, she knew what she was doing. Lindmon was starting to get the hang of sensing the force, he picked up the mentalism much faster than Ahsoka had expected, yet she wasn't surprised givin his history. Manipulation was proving much more difficult. Lindmon was excited when he watched his hilt floating a few inches off the ground, wobbling in the air before it clattered back down, but he struggled to lift anything heavier.

"Weight is an illusion your mind places on you. Your logic states that it will be harder to lift but weight is meaningless to the Force." Ahsoka had said, but the task of reworking his thought process was proving difficult.


	10. Meeting of the minds

The crew had filtered back onto the _Zephyr_ as it departed from _Haven Sentry_ , jumping into hyperspace enroute to Courascant. The trip took about a day and a half, during which Lindmon continued training with Ahsoka, each of their sessions laden with a tinge or foreboding. Lindmon had relaid to Ahsoka what had happened. She had said that they needn't worry about Sabine, she knew what she was doing. Lindmon was starting to get the hang of sensing the force, he picked up the mentalism much faster than Ahsoka had expected, yet she wasn't surprised givin his history. Manipulation was proving much more difficult. Lindmon was excited when he watched his hilt floating a few inches off the ground, wobbling in the air before it clattered back down, but he struggled to lift anything heavier.

"Weight is an illusion your mind places on you. Your logic states that it will be harder to lift but weight is meaningless to the Force." Ahsoka had said, but the task of reworking his thought process was proving difficult.

The crew arrived on planet a day prior to the hearing, the heavy feeling of dread and stress filled the space from cockpit to aft. Ahsoka had agreed to accompany him to the chamber but stated she may not be allowed entry despite her position as an ambassador for the senate, due to her assistance in the mission at the center of everything, but her company was appreciated nonetheless. The Republic offered to allow them board but the crew had opted to remain on ship, finding more comfort in their familiar crew quarters than the idea of a strange bed.

The hour was quickly approaching for the hearing. Lindmon stood in a small waiting room off the side of the senate floor in full dress uniform. He had already had one drink and was preparing a second when Ahsoka, wearing her pure white robe once more, suggested they meditate instead. After a short time a protocol droid waddled into the waiting room.

"The senate floor is ready to begin Sir. This way please."

Lindmon passed one final look at Ahsoka, who looked back reassuringly. He straightened his uniform coat and stepped out of the doors and onto the senate floor.

The doors slid open into a long room lined with tall ornate columns that stretched up to meet the high ceiling. The tan and white tiles of the room gave a sense of grandeur and purpose as Lindmon entered. Since the demolition of the Imperial Palace, construction of a new senate building had been underway. Construction of the massive galactic center had been ongoing throughout the last five months and was expected to continue for many more months. During that time though, all senate proceedings were delegated to another building nearby, this one was designed for civilian law operations. The pews and podiums were removed and replaced with a wide ovoid table, a portable holo dome resting on top.

The table however was sparsely occupied, other senators and generals had been removed for the duration of the classified operations unless they were authorized. Their idle chatter diminished as Lindmon entered and he took note of the attendees. The mix of senators and generals began with his superior officer Admiral Cest Sev'esa, his chestnut and greying fur illuminated by the sunlight beaming through the tall windows on the back wall. He was in his dress uniform as well and narrowed his eyes slightly at Lindmon, they'd been discussing one crisis after another spanning the last several hours and now there was another. One which he didn't particularly side with.

To his left sat Senator Organa, taking a liberal sip of her water. During the past months her work had been ceaseless, traveling to the other systems and bringing them under the fold of the New Republic. She offered to pour another glass for the famed military leader beside her who graciously accepted. Admiral Ackbar, whose leadership brought victory to the Rebellion at the battle of Endor, was positioned near the center of the table. His deep brown skin a bit uncomfortable in this low humidity as he enjoyed yet another drink. He had been present at nearly all meetings regarding military strategies in the prevailing months.

"Would you care to join us General Solo?" Senator Borsk Fey'lya said scornfully. Gesturing to an empty seat beside himself and General Syndulla as the Bothan's fur rippled with agitation.

The smuggler turned Rebellion General simply shrugged dismissively. "I've been sitting all day. If you don't like it then get better chairs."

At the center of the group sat the Chief of State, Mon Mothma. Elected for her charisma and leadership she had been guiding the New Republic to act with dignity and unity. She rose from her seat, the deep blue and gold robe draped around her thin frame shimmered from the light piercing the windows.

Her crystal blue eyes met Lindmon's, gazing into him, "Thank you for coming Lieutenant Crest. Those gathered here today have been informed of your mission parameters or are otherwise involved." Her soft voice detailed, "Please, why don't you begin by telling us what you've discovered?"

The others in the group quieted and waited expectantly for Lindmon's description. They had been informed of the standard description of his mission, but were eager to hear exactly what had been occurring. And how...

Lindmon stood at the foot of the table at parade rest, he had been preparing for this for almost a day and yet still found himself nervous.

 _Trust in the Force._

He heard Ahsoka's voice echo in his own mind as he started into his report.

"Thank you Senators, Admirals, and Generals. Several months ago my crew was dispatched to the Unknown Regions to begin two separate missions. The first and primary of these, to retrieve any and all information leading to the furthering of the removal of the Imperial remnant from the galaxy. The secondary mission, to locate any information leading to secural of one Ezra Bridger, a Jedi. At the behest of Ambassador Ahsoka Tano the crew of the _Saqorian_ _Zephyr_ made way to the planet Lothal under my command. Upon arrival and resupply we were joined by the head of Lothal Security Sabine Wren. Her involvement in the matter was not disclosed by my order. She was familiar with the Jedi in question and aided us exponentially in both missions, risking her life to secure the information provided to this council. Upon leaving Lothal my crew and I began our foray into the edges of the Unknown Regions, searching and documenting secure paths into the system and habitable planets that may be of interest to the Republic. We eventually made planetfall on an outlier world called Saqor. My crew and I disembarked and attempted an information gathering mission in compliance with both stated missions. Sabine successfully made contact with a Mandalorian who provided the information on three imperial relay posts. The price of which was the retrieval of one Gripp Jippeek. With the help of Republic intelligence we determined that the person in question had fled to the Hutt controlled planet of Nar-Shadaa. Upon arrival my crew, under my orders, made contact with a weapons dealer and made arrangements to capture the target. During the course of the mission injuries were sustained by Sabine Wren, who required significant medical attention, and damage to one security vehicle of Nar-Shadaa's security force. The target was apprehended and the information was provided to us. The actions of my crew fall soley on my shoulders as the commanding officer of this mission, and any and all action taken should therefor be placed soley on me due to my decisions. I deemed the information aquired to be a sufficient reason to act, as it both lead to a significant retrieval for the primary mission, and the information held at these stations had a high chance of aiding in the search for Ezra Bridger."

Lindmon finished his report and took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he awaited, and dreaded, the outcome of his report.

Mon Mothma looked at Lindmon sympathetically, "I'm sorry to hear about your comrade...We all hope that she will be okay." It was this kind of genuine response that reinforced to Lindmon that he made the right choice in defecting to the right side. After all the things that he could be reprimanded for, the first concern was for a fallen comrade.

"Don't worry, my girl is a firecracker. She'll be up and at 'em in no time!" General Syndulla said proudly to her fellow attendees.

Borsk Fey'lya was less enthused, scanning through his datapad for a moment before looking up at Lindmon dissatisfied. "You seem to have neglected to mention that after you apprehended this 'target', you turned him over to a mercenary group that calls themselves the Blood Raptors."

"Did you think that sending this person to their presumed death wasn't relevant? Or perhaps you thought Admiral Sev'esa would neglect to include that information in his report?" Fey'lya scolded.

"Not at all Sir. I deemed it as an appropriate decision. The Blood Raptors would have found a way to apprehend their person of interest with or without our aid. I decided, with that in mind, that the benefit of the data at hand coming into Republic hands was to great an opportunity to let pass simply to keep my own hands clean. Gripp Jippeek was being hunted by an entire mercenary band along with a Mandalorian. As I saw it his fate was sealed when he struck down one of the Blood Raptor's command and turned that to the Republics benefit. Along with the data we are now on good terms with a prominent information dealer in the unknown regions which may in the future turn up more fruitful information."

Lindmon turned to General Syndulla. "Sir, Sabine Wren returned to duty in full health three days ago and returned to Lothal to handle the security leak that occurred during her absence."

"See? She's a tenacious one for sure!" General Syndulla said happily, slapping her leg heartily.

General Solo interjected as he leaned up against one of the support columns, "Look kid, I know it seems like it turned out good...but these Blood Raptors are a dangerous group. They remember who helped them, and if they come to you for more work, well, don't expect no to be an answer."

"Our business arrangement was with an Older Mandalorian named Teroch, he provided us with the target and so far as I am aware, while he is aligned with the Blood Raptors he is not a member. The deal was struck from one Mandalorian to another. From what I have been lead to believe, Mandalorians do not expect favors if there is not something to gain from the other side. In the future if there is any communication with the Blood Raptors we will be informing Republic command and allowing them to make the decision, unfortunately due to the nature of our mission and the time sensitive nature I made the decision as the commander of the mission to proceed." Lindmon stated.

This was going far better than he had anticipated. His worries that this would be primarily a disciplinary hearing seemed to shrink away, at least in part. It allowed him the opportunity to relax at least slightly.

"From what I know of Mandalorians, and especially mercenaries, it's that all they need is some money, and they'll do whatever you want however you want." General Solo warned.

"It doesn't put the Republic in a good light, to be dealing with these groups." Senator Organa replied, her expression firm but polite. "We're trying to bring new systems into the Republic. We can't have them thinking we'll send them to their deaths to further our goals."

"My crew and I were careful not to reveal to anybody that we were Republic agents. I can't say for certain whether or not they may have aquired that information in any other fashion, so I can not confirm or deny their knowledge of our association with the Republic. I apologize on behalf of myself and my crew for any difficulties our actions under my command may have caused or will cause in the future." The stress creeped back in as the talk seemed to take a sour turn. His neck tingled again, although this time he wasn't sure why. General Organa's eyes met his and she looked at him quizzically.

Senator Organa stared at him for a long moment, wondering what the strange pull she had towards Lindmon was. She shook her head and sighed, "We just need to be cautious moving forward. If Han says they'll try to collect on favors from you, we need you to be prepared. The Republic might not be able to send you assistance in time to help."

"Republic forces are drawn thin enough, that's for sure." Admiral Ackbar concurred, "Our blockades are facing an increasing amount of Imperial scouts. It seems as though they're probing for weaknesses, looking for undefended territories and hyperlanes."

"Understood General. Turning to the information on the Imperial installations if I may. Flying in blind would be detrimental I think, especially if they are still staffed. I could take the _King of Spades_ out, dispatches from a nearby system with a clear hyperspace lane. She can fly under the radar and on the off chance she is detected it won't be as strange for her to be in the area. Our Phantom missions were often so classified that outliers wouldn't even ask for anything outside of authorization codes."

Lindmon shifted uncomfortably, now that his report was complete he wasn't sure if they were going to bother with disciplinary action at this immediate point. Likely the Admiral would pull him aside to chew him out further. He stepped towards the table.

"You seem to be getting ahead of yourself Lieutenant." Senator Fey'lya reprimanded. "Many of us here think that this search mission had been a poor allocation of Republic manpower. I feel that we should decide if the mission should be terminated before we continue with what to do with the Imperial bases."

"Senator Fey'lya!" General Syndulla shouted, rising from her seat. "How dare you-" Mon Mothma raised her hand to silence her.

"The notion of continuing Lieutenant Lindmon's mission has merit and deserves to be heard" One of Mon Mothma's foundations of the New Republic was to never silence a dissenting opinion. Everyone had enough of the decades of oppression the Empire imposed on their freedoms.

"The months in which Lieutenant Lindmon has been embarked have only produced the locations of these Imperial comm stations." Senator Fey'lya explained, "If they weren't so occupied with searching each individual planet for this missing person they could spend more resources uncovering more information pertinent to the Imperial Remnant."

General Syndulla glared daggers at Fey'lya as he spoke. She couldn't believe the audacity of the senator to attempt to scrub the recovery mission so soon. "Finding Ezra is extremely important to the New Republic. Almost every person in this room was influenced by him at some point, for the better I might add. And now you're talking about leaving him out there? He's already been gone five years!"

"Soldiers that are missing in action are rarely recovered." Senator Fey'lya said solemnly.

"With all due respect senator. The crew of the _Zephyr_ has done much more than simply search planets for a single person. Much of our time was spent pathfinfing routes, which was a primary parameter when this mission was assigned. We detailed our travels and paths, hazards we avoided, and shortcuts during the entire expedition. Each planet we visited was scanned and documented. Atmospheric data and flora fauna scans. We have been far from wasting time and resources, I can assure you." The hairs on the back of Lindmon's neck bristled. The thought that the senator assumed they were galavanting on some lost cause rescue operation bit under his skin.

"Flora and fauna..." Senator Fey'lya said pensively, turning his meticulous gaze to Lindmon. "I think it's wonderful that you believe the New Republic is here to fund your own personal nature expedition Lieutenant Crest. The fact of the matter is that you have gained no more technical data than other informants in half the time, and are no closer to finding this missing person after three months!"

A twinge along his spine told him to stop. It didn't matter what he said, the senator was quite set in his ways and it wasn't his place to speak back to a senator. Stating his point was all he could do.

"As you say, Senator." Lindmon conceded.

Senator Fey'lya rested back in his seat, quite pleased with the compliance of the Lieutenant.

Senator Organa spoke up in the interim, "I think that it cannot be understated the value of bringing another Jedi into the New Republic." She said flatly, trying to appeal to her fellow colleagues. "If Luke Skywalker has shown us anything its that a single Jedi can change the course of history and bring hope back to the galaxy."

Admiral Cest Sev'esa scoffed at the tail end of her comment. "What is this nonsensical talk about Jedi, mystic religions have no place in this forum!"

"Only with the help of my brother were we able to destroy both of the Death Stars and bring peace back to the galaxy." Senator Organa stated proudly, not yielding to the provocations of the admiral.

"Ha! The Death Stars were destroyed by superior Rebellion battle strategies not by some fantasy energy power." Admiral Sev'esa urged. "If Skywalker wasn't there, the Death Stars would have been destroyed all the same."

"With all due respect Admiral, it isn't some kind of strange fantasy. The Force is real, I've been coming to grips with that myself over the course of these past several months." As soon as the words left his mouth he knew he shouldn't have said them. The fur on the Admiral's face stood on end as his whole body seemed to quiver in vaguely restrained fury. General Organa raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so Lieutenant? And what makes you so sure?" She clasped her hands together in front of her.

Lindmon looked at her, embarrassed. "Apologies General, what I intended was that in the course of trying to locate Bridger we've encountered some unexplainable things."

She smiled at him coyly, that strange feeling she had moments prior clicking into place. "Is that the case Lieutenant? You didn't fail to include anything in your reports did you?"

Lindmon stood for a moment before responding. "The information I provided in my report is the full record of pertinent information Sir." His moment of silence spoke volumes to Leia.

"Of course Lieutenant." Senator Organa replied, not wanting to bring too much attention to his cryptic answers. That would be an interesting topic for the next meeting after this...

"I believe that the mission to find Ezra should continue. Though it might have taken longer than some of us had wanted, there are good results that have come from it." General Syndulla protested, "We've all lost family to this war...Ezra is like a son to me. If he's out there then we should at least be trying to find him."

A moment of silence passed over the group as they remembered those lost from the years long struggles. Children, fathers, widows, they've all felt the sting off loss.

Senator Fey'lya snorted, a rude gesture for a human, but for a Bothan it was the equivalent of an awkward cough. Even the obstinate Bothan was not devoid of sympathy. "Fine. Fine." He said waving his hand dismissively, "I will admit that if we can get the information from one of these Imperial communication arrays it may start to pay off."

"Wonderful!" The Mon Calamari Admiral exclaimed happily. Now that it was decided that Lindmons mission could continue, he could move on to the battle strategy for taking over the Imperial relay. The subject of finding the Jedi merely secondary for his involvement. Admiral Ackbar depressed a button on the holotable, activating a familiar projection. The star chart that Lindmon's team taken had appeared in the room, their jagged path cutting a small swath into the Unknown Region. It branched along the indicated red cone of the Chimaera's projected path, illuminating and annotating the planets along the way. On the map the three Imperial communication arrays were indicated by bright yellow orbs. They appeared near the Saqor system, spread out along the red route. Had Lindmon's shuttle continued down that path they very well could have run into one without warning. Knowing their locations beforehand allowed them to plan a preemptive strike.

"The positions of the Imperial relay stations are expectedly unfavorable to approach." Admiral Ackbar explained to the room, "Planning a coordinated strike will be difficult because of the treacherous route through the region, it could take days for our cruisers to cut into the area. Therefore it is my recommendation that we establish a forward outpost near the system and rally what forces we can spare. This will give us a reliable defensive position to fall back to, and establish resupply operations within the Unknown Region. A task we need to get underway soon if we want to have a counter offensive against the Imperials." Admiral Ackbar gestures to Admiral Sev'esa respectfully, "We had prepared for a situation like this to occur, which is why the mission was placed under command of Admiral Sev'esa. His skill and knowledge at establishing and defending forward positions will be paramount to our success."

"Once a forward position is established we will use Lieutenant Lindmon's previously mentioned TIE phantom to scout the Imperial installation." Ackbar switched the display to show a rotating image of the _King of Spades_. The TIE phantom shimmered and melted from view. "The craft's stygium based cloaking system renders it totally invisible to scanners and optics. We'll have to adjust our strategy based on their defenses, and prepare for a strike team or ground assault on the surface."

"Sir, the crew of the _Zephyr_ could continue our mission and scout out surrounding systems, along with a possibly more direct path to those locals."

Lindmon was glad the conversation had finally moved away from the previous missions.

"We have already secured several that could make it easier, and our long range scans show us that there may be several more in the surrounding areas. If I could make a suggestion."

He pointed into a small cluster of stars roughly in the center of the three yellow dots.

"As I recall, our scans picked up a planet in this vicinity, the relative location to each of the bases could prove the most beneficial."

"That takes us right into the center of their territory..." Admiral Ackbar said pensively, "If your sensors were able to find that planet Imperial scanners might be able to detect our ships in the area and catch us before we're prepared." He seemed cautious about the plan, more at ease with deliberate defensive strategies over a longer period of time. Admiral Ackbar favored missions that are accomplished with guaranteed rewards followed by minimal casualties.

"I like the idea, it's nice and aggressive!" Admiral Cest Sev'esa shouted, "The Imperials are at their weakest and the longer we give them to recover the worse off we will be. It's better to take these opportunities while we can."

"According to the populace of Saqor, the Empire doesn't hold much in the way of sway in the sector, that could work to our benefit. The people I spoke to were confident that the Empire wasn't operational in the area. These outposts may be vestigial, low staffed, listening posts."

Ackbar thought for a long moment before continuing, "That will be where your scouting will be extremely helpful. If these are lightly defended we may not have to devote so much to get the information."

"We should still proceed with caution." Mon Mothma interjected, "Our reports have been showing that Imperials have been conquering territories in the region with unprecedented speed. A heavily defended relay station may not expand its influence to the planets nearby but it could still pose a threat if it detects New Republic forces."

The council continued on for quite a while, discussing possible plans and deciding on key points. Lindmon remained silent for a majority of the proceedings, only speaking up when a question was posed to him. Finally after what seemed like a couple hours the council closed. Each of the members standing up in turn. Eventually the only people left other than Lindmon were General Organa, who stood to leave with General Solo. As she passed by Lindmon she touched his arm and leaned in towards him. "May the force be with you." She said with a wink as the pair exited the room. Lindmon stood there for a moment in the empty room, the light shining in from above showing the hints of the orange and reds of dusk. He turned and exited the way he came in. As he walked through the pair of doors where Ahsoka was waiting he found her meditating, sitting on the floor, her robes spread out under her. She opened her eyes as he entered.

"So it went well I see. They haven't stripped you of your rank, and by the energy around you I would say you came out better than before."

Lindmon smiled, helping her off the floor.

"The _Zephyr_ is set to begin scouting missions around the outposts to find a suitable staging world, once that is found the _Blue_ _Diver_ is going to enter system and from there I take the _King of Spades_ out to scout the defense of each relay."

Ahsoka smiled back, glad that things went smoothly. The pair made their way back to the shuttle while Lindmon informed her of the events of the meeting in more detail.

"So you were the one to recommend a planet right in the center of all the relay stations?" Ahsoka chuckled as they walked towards the hangar bay. "You seem to have a flair for the reckless."

The long walk took them across Coruscant's dazzling sunset vista, the massive glass and metal spires shimmering bright orange and sharp yellows. Home to the galaxy's busiest airways, the zoom of speeders could always be heard on the upper levels. As they reached the entrance of the hangar containing the _Saqorian Zephyr_ , Ahsoka stopped. Lindmon turned back and looked at her quizzically. "I won't be able to go with you on this mission. There are a few things I need to see to." She said cryptically.

"What sort of things? We can help you, this mission isn't set to kick off officially for a week or so. The brass needs time to ensure they have the forces to take the relays" Lindmon responded hopefully. "We have some time."

"I have to consult with the elders on the visions I've been having in reference to the Unknown Region." Ahsoka explained. She noteed Lindmon's confusion and attempted to explain, "They are called the Adepts of the White Current, they follow a perspective of the Force that is unique from the Jedi. After the Jedi Order fell I continued my immersion into the Force through them and their teachings of pacifism and healing."

"There are many things being set in motion." She continued, her face showing the gravity of the subject. "I need to know if these visions are truth or foreboding of a future yet to be realized...but I need to go alone."

"Alright, will you be meeting back up with us afterwards? What would you like me to practice while you're away?" The thought of her being away was giving him some anxiety. After starting down the path of the Jedi this was the first time she would be away from him. "We can keep you appraised of our local so you can meet up with us."

"Thank you Lieutenant, I'll meet up with you in a few weeks." Ahsoka assured, "Make sure to meditate and immerse yourself in the Force. Being attuned to your emotions and aware of the will of the Force is always more valuable than learning simple techniques." Ahsoka explained to Lindmon as she turned to leave. Her previous attempts to teach Lindmon the ways of the Force had been rocky, with him understanding the mindset rapidly but having difficulty putting the theory into practice. She had constantly been reminding him that the Force was a living thing, with it's own will and priorities, that one can only influence it momentarily with practice and discipline.

"Alright, will do, may the Force be with you." He smiled at her as she turned to leave, she waved to him as she exited the hangar and he turned to continue up the ramp. As he boarded Giz ran up to him, worry and excitement on her face.

"Well? How'd it go? Is everything ok? What are we doing next?" She asked bouncing from question to question without giving Lindmon the chance to reply.

"Calm down Giz, everything's fine. Get Sulahaan and Reed and we will go over the plan." She nodded rapidly and ran into the engine room where Sul was working to bring him in. Lindmon moved to the cabinet and was about to pour a drink, deciding against it, he placed the glass back down and walked over to the table, pressing several keys and pulling up an image of the Unknown Regions, the yellow dots of the relays blinking silently.

The rest of the crew filed in. Lindmon provided the details of his meeting, providing what information he could and relayed the plan of action, scouting out several planets for a forward base. Afterwards the group separated, going about their own tasks. Lindmon returned to his quarters and sat on the bed. He spent several hours meditating, trying to feel the flow of the Force. After a while and not entirely that much progress he fell asleep.


	11. Card games and Rebel bases

The days seemed to pass by quickly. After a week of plan and preparation the _Zephyr_ , and a contingent of scout shuttles departed from Courascant, stopping over briefly at Lothal for a refuel. Sabine was unavailable, the reason for which was not provided to the crew. Giz was particularly saddened by this, but she left a message and a small gift of flowers for her as they left.

The recon fleet departed into the Unknown Regions, following many of the routes provided by the previous expeditions the _Zephyr_ had taken. It took only a couple of weeks after they split up before a suitable planet was located.

Palatine, a world primarily covered in oceans, peppered with large grey spires and cliffs. The cave systems were found to be hospitable enough, though the planet's wildlife was somewhat difficult to deal with. A small fleet of construction ships descended on the planet, filling the caves with the plethora of mechanical needs provided by the Republic. At first it was easy enough. The local creature that began to be called the Flit Monkey was a nuisance but was easily removed from their caves by selective smoking. It wasn't until after they had removed the creatures that the difficulties began. As the blast doors were being constructed a large swarm of airborne ocean creatures, later called Caravors, began assaulting the Flit Monkeys and anything else unlucky enough to be outside the safety of the caves. As they pulled the animals into the ocean, the waters frothing and bubbling from their rapid devouring of the creatures, other animals began flocking to the area. The cliff crabs, easy enough to deal with, turned out to be the primary food source of not only the Flit Monkeys, but also a reptilian creature the technicians began naming a screech dragon. So called due to the incessant screeching sound it made as it dove towards the grey crabs stuck to the sides of the cliffs. The influx of these seemed to also draw one of the more fierce creatures the planet had to offer. The Strangle lion. A massive creature with tentacles on its face and a wide, pincer like mouth. These creatures climbed the sheer walls of the cliffs, snatching shriek dragons from the sky and pulling them deep under the waves.

Construction was slow at first as preventative emplacements were constructed to deal with the fauna, and after the large blast doors were installed for the primary hangar and command the main trouble was the occasional attack of the Strangle Lion on low flying X-wings and the removal of cliff crabs from the salt encrusted blast doors. It took roughly a month for the base to be functional. At that point the plan to attack the relays began in ernest. Maintaining a vigil from orbit, the _Blue_ _Diver_ circled above the planet, scanning for any possible Imperial movement in the surrounding systems.

The crew of the _Zephyr_ sat patiently as Lindmon met with Admiral Cest and a handful of intelligence specialists as they planned for the initial assault.

"I'd wish I could say that this base wasn't a challenge to complete but the local wildlife was a significant obstacle." Admiral Sev'esa's voice crackled over the holo projection inside the Palatine cave system. With the base blast doors closed only the faintest vibrations of waves crashing against the cliffs could be heard, without them the Screech Dragon's cries would blast into the interior of the cave.

"From the scouting reports you've obtained over the weeks we've identified the patrol vectors of these Imperial Communication relays." Admiral Sev'esa explained, "Each station is guarded by one Imperial class Star Destroyer, which is difficult enough to penetrate." He adjusted the display and the flickering image showed multiple Arquitens light cruisers flanking the Star Destroyer. After a few moments one of the cruisers warped out of view, leaving the other two starships behind. "Every few hours one of these ships moves locations to a different comm station." Admiral Sev'esa crackled out of existence for a few moments, the shoddy signal of the Palatine cave interrupting the communications. "This level of coordination has previously been unheard of for Imperial forces."

"That can only mean they have something important there, that or whoever has taken hold of the Remnant is far more tactically inclined than the old regime." Lindmon surmised.

Lindmon had spent a large portion of the past several weeks flying the _King of Spades_ into the systems housing the comm relays. Scouting out their defenses and gathering what communications he could. The data had been invaluable up to this point. So far there were no signs that the Empire had taken note of their newest outpost. The thick walls of the spires likely hiding any signatures they may put off.

"The wildlife problems are worth it if we can be this close and this well intrenched."

"I agree Lieutenant, moving forward with our assault plans is our top priority now." Admiral Sev'esa said, running his hand down the soft furs on his face. "I don't like the regular rate of these patrols within the Imperial command. It only gives us a small window to arrive and assault the compound before the other installations are notified...The plan is quite genius in fact, however time consuming the regularity of the patrols may be."

"If we send in a small force to infiltrate the comm relay we may be able to buy some extra time. Land several fighters perhaps, or find a location for a rapid drop off? That way they can be active preparing through one cycle and when the Star destroyer jumps away they can begin?" Lindmon rubbed his chin, the bristles of a beard having pushed through several weeks ago, the pressure of his missions prevented him from shaving as often as he wanted to. "Otherwise we can take a small squadron in immediately upon their jump, perhaps leave just prior so we can stay out of their scanners but arrive shortly after they leave? Some highly skilled pilots to handle any TIEs they may have on station. Ultimately we are going to have to deal with that Star Destroyer. And sooner is better than later in my opinion. If we begin assaulting one Comm relay they can prepare the others, and provide the Star Destroyer with our trajectory into system."

"Planning a feint strike on one station might be our best course of action." Admiral Sev'esa said, expanding on Lindmon's idea. If they could move the Star Destroyer away from the base with the strike team on it, they could raid the station and evacuate without much resistance. "Getting a squad down to the surface will be the issue, trying to land on an Imperial outpost with long tang scanners like that will be difficult. The Ghost might be the only ship that could transport a strike team and scramble the scanners long enough to land on the planet."

"Lieutenant Commander Crest. Our sonar drones are detecting a swarm of Caravors migrating from the south east." The RA series droid mechanically chirped to Lindmon, trying to gain his attention. It's metallic silver body reflecting the interior makeshift lanterns that illuminated the Palatine base. CV-4 stared at Lindmon, it's large bug-like eyes unblinking and unaware of its manner of interruption. It waited silently until Lindmon made a small acknowledgement of its comment. "Indigo five and six have yet to return from their flight patterns, I feel that there is an unpleasant probability they could be caught in the swarm."

"I'll contact General Syndulla and request for her assistance along with the rest of our reinforcements." Admiral Cest Sev'esa said through the crackling holo comm. "We can begin our strategy soon. It seems you have other things that need to be tended to."

"It seems so. Thank you Sir." Lindmon turned towards the droid and motioned for it to follow. "Scramble detachment one and get a ping on their ships. Those damned fish can't do enough damage to bust their black boxes so we should be able to get a location. Make sure they know to fly above the water where the Caravors can't get to them."

The past month had been an interesting change of pace for Lindmon and his crew. With his involvement in the mission at hand as integral as it had been he was placed in charge of overseeing the continued operation on Palatine. A new rank came along with the responsibilities. He proved quite capable of keeping up with the stress of the local fauna's continued attempts to either retake their caves, eat their ships, or otherwise be a general nuisance. The constant stream of information proved the more difficult problem. It had gotten to the point that the only way he could keep up with it was with CV-4 who followed him most places. The droid was able to handle most low priority issues and brought things to his attention if it's advanced algorithms couldn't create an appropriate solution or if there was something that required Lindmon's attention or order to proceed.

Giz had taken over as the bases primary technician, although she wasn't assigned it, her understanding of the different ships and their maintenance needs made it so she was the go to for the other techs. She could constantly be found either under a shuttle, or running from one end of the bay to the other spouting off mechanical concerns that the other techs needed to address. Her excited demeanor had brought the moral of her workspace up by magnitudes, so Lindmon saw no need to move her.

Sulahaan and Reed took their primary mission in stride and spent the majority of their time either tending to the _Saqorian_ _Zephyr_ , or pouring through data lists and pathing. Even with everything going on, the search for Bridger hadn't ended.

"Indigo seven through ten. Prepare for takeoff procedures immediately." The Palatine base intercom blared over the speakers. It's orders reverberating against the hard stone walls and tunnels throughout the caves. "Indigo seven through ten prepare for takeoff procedures immediately."

The blast doors slid open with resistance from the barnacle like grip of the Cliff Crabs outside. They worked themselves into the mechanical workings of the gate, trying to escape the predatory Screech Dragons. The blast door shuddered to a stop, the mass cluster of Cliff Crabs preventing it from opening the full amount.

The deck officer shouted for the designated crab cleaning crew. Several of the lower ranking members sulk out, pulling their water pressure hoses and grappling struts behind them. "Get up there! These damn crabs are kriffing with my door again!" The officer commanded. "Hustle! Hustle!"

Using the previously installed rail running across the outside of the blast door, the cleaning crew latched on with grappling claws. Shimmying up the rope and across the metal door as another ensign lead a water line hose behind them. It was a poor job no one really enjoyed doing, but it was a decent solution to the nuisance. If not done regularly the density of Cliff Crabs drew the attention of their predators, and that could become an even bigger issue.

The Palatine base pilots scrambled their X-Wing fighters, the four designated star fighters hurtle out of the bay doors as the cleaning crew blasted a cluster of crabs off the cliff walls. Breaking off into wingman groups, Indigo nine and ten took the eastern approach to the last known location of their lost comrades. They dove low off the cliff, riding down the slope until they reached the Strangle Lion threat zone. Any lower and they risked a watery grave.

Maila Covell, Indigo nine, enjoyed that. Any kind of added thrill made her skin tingle with excitement. She occasionally dipped below into the threat zone, daring the wild creatures to try and pull her out of the sky. It had almost happened too when she first got to Palatine, but by now Maila had a better eye for their breaching habits. And their speed. The Strangle Lions were like a fleshy tentacled missile.

"You think they got dragged down by the Strangle Lions?" Maila asked her wingmate. Her comm clicked twice, a negative. She rolled her eyes, Indigo ten wasn't one for small talk no matter how much she tried to be friendly with him. When she was a girl just dreaming about starfighters she pictured having a dashing partner to fall for. Seger Terrano had all of those traits, slicked black hair, cool demeanor and on the rare occasions he did talk, he spoke with a thick outer rim accent. Now that she had to deal with his almost rude level of distance Maila came to realize how annoying many of those traits were.

She was disappointed initially once she was old enough to join the famous and daring Rebellion. The moment they handed over her fatigues the Empire was already defeated, no glory for her, no enemies to defeat. When she heard about this secret base in the mysterious Unknown Region, she knew that she had to be there.

Convincing the New Republic officers to allow an ensign to take the pilots test was difficult, and it took Maila sitting outside the office of the test coordinator for three days straight until they agreed. Maila idolized the famous Luke Skywalker, known for taking the dreaded Death Star one on one and coming out victorious. She had the names of all the ace pilots memorized, their maneuvers mapped out in her head. She even held the Empire's ace of legend Soontir Fel in the highest regard, in her eyes he was the true daredevil. Flying one of the most lightly armored starfighters in production in favor of superior skill and speed.

The pathetic sky hopper they gave her to take the test was an insult, but she showed them. Sneaking aboard an R2 Astro she commanded it to cut all power from the shields and other systems, diverting it all to the engines. Without shields, if she even clipped the side of the canyon the sky hopper would erupt in a violent fireball. This was her only chance and she was going to take it. All or nothing.

"So what do you think happened?" She asked again to Indigo ten, whipping her starfighter through a slim gap of rocky spires.

Seger Terrano responded with a double click over the comms. He didn't know. He wasn't one to speculate either. Maila tumbled her X-Wing over his cockpit, boosted forward several kilometers, then jammed her servomotor s-foils open. The starfighter whipped around hard, and her body was thrown against the crash webbing. The nose of the craft now pointed at him. Segers cockpit alarm blared to life, she was repeatedly targeting him with her fire control system. Causing his computer alarm to activate and deactivate over and over. He flicked the alarm control off, there wouldn't be a need for it here. He made no verbal protest and instead sent Maila a negative double click. Don't do that.

He could tell she was bored, even with the potential danger their wing mates were in they didn't have much to do except fly around the area and leave the scanning to the astromechs.

Indigo seven and eight whipped out of the hangar bay, as nine and ten swooped low out to the east, they instead circled around and headed north. The pair of X-wings tumbled around each other, both pilots happy to just be out and flying.

Lugo and Salya Cordisova were twins, both had started wanting to fly when they were young, and their unique connection gave them unbelievable teamwork. Without even needing to communicate they seemed to know where the other was and when they were in trouble.

Lugo zoomed out above the waters, just high enough that the Caravors and Strangle Lions couldn't reach. He put himself into a spin and slammed his controls hurtling skyward. He laughed to himself as he spun. He was the older, and arguably more adventurous of the pair. His long red hair tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of his face.

"Would you stop that and get back down here, your droid isn't gonna know which way is which if you keep spinning him like that." Salya snapped. Usually more serious and cautious, she was a perfect balance for her brother. She sailed her X-wing straight as an arrow over the waters. She brushed a strand of her own red hair out of her face as she read the display, looking for signs of activity. Her hair was cut short, just long enough that she could pull it into a small ponytail if she needed to but more often than not she let it rest, hanging just down to her collar.

"Oh come on sis! How often do we get to fly around on a planet with so much open space! No trees or mountains, except the occasional cliff but really no worries there. And as long as we don't go to low we're completely fine!" Lugo swept back around, flipping his X-wing up and over, sailing smoothly back over to his sister, they flew just close enough that their wings almost touched.

Salya's droid chirped several times, a message displayed out on her monitor. Indigo nine and ten have located the missing shuttles, pilots not aboard. She shook her head radioing back to her brother.

"R4 says Maila and Seger found the ships. Popped open like Antillian Clams." She sighed, twisting her shuttle back around to head for the base. Lugo followed suit, keeping himself in line with her S-foils the whole while. That's how it was out here in the Unknown Regions. If you weren't careful you could get picked off just like that.

"Indigos seven through ten, return to base and report to ready room bravo for briefing in thirty" The voice clattered over the comms, crackeling as it went. The signal out here had never been great.

"You hear that sis? We got us a mission! Hooboy!" Lugo shouted. "Race you back!" He slammed on his accelerator.

"Already ahead of you." Salya said with a smirk, slamming her own X-wing forward. They were neck and neck all the way until it was time for entry, finally slowing down for landing procedures. As the shuttles made their way back into the large cavern that was the hangar bay, the large laser turrets swiveled around on the outside of the cliff, their scanners searching for any lifeforms under the waves.

Indigo nine and ten swept around the rocky outcrop that the X-Wing's had crashed into, several times. It was an unnecessary task, the fang marks on the seats and the gory cockpits told them all they needed to know. One of the pilots had been snatched by a Strangle Lion, one that most likely had climbed up on a rocky spire in search of prey, high above the threat level established by Palatine base. The pilot's wingman must have landed in an attempt to save their partner, but the Strangle Lions were ambush predators. Once the second pilot landed he was entangled by writhing tentacles, pierced by their numbing neurotoxins and devoured at their leisure.

They both pitched their starfighters around, leaving their fallen behind. Maila and Seger hadn't been in Indigo squadron for very long, but it still didn't make it easy to see their comrades eaten by the planet's wildlife.

Their proximity alarms blared to life just as they began to accelerate away from the crash site. "Seger are you getting this too?" Maila asked her wingman.

One click, affirmative.

What could it be then? "What the-" She looked around her cockpit, small flicks of shadows passed over her viewport.

Caravors.

The small fish-like winged creatures moved in massive swarms, using their wormlike razor teeth to overwhelm even the largest prey. They dipped in and out of the water, allowing them to leap several hundred feet into the air, forming a massive cloud of fangs barreling towards anything in their path.

"Seger! Cut your deflector shields, reroute power to the engines and follow me!" Maila shouted. She closed her s-foils and cut her X-Wing low, driving deep into the threat zone as she leveled out just above the water.

Indigos nine and ten screeched across the surface of the ocean, juking left and right dodging a hailstorm of savage Caravors. They had to make it back to the base, get behind the blast doors. Maila paused, remembering the crew that was removing the Cliff Crabs as they left the base. They hadn't been gone for very long, were they still out there?

"Palatine base! This is Indigo Nine, we've got Caravors on our tail is the crew still outside!?" She cried out over the comm. She couldn't lead the swarm to the base, straight into the crew as they hung helplessly outside.

"Indigo nine this is Giz, we hear you, crew is coming in now quick as they can! Can you give us a few minutes to prep the jump net?" The hangar had become a scramble of technicians and pilots, moving as fast as they could to get out of the way for the fighters that would be coming in hot. The blue shimmer of the forcefield over the bulkhead sparked to life, although it was only somewhat effective against the Caravors, as a handful of techs came to find. The sheer numbers that the swarms traveled in overpowered the field causing it to short out. To combat that problem, Giz has developed what she called the Jump net. As soon as the fighters had cleared a specific line, about three hundred meters away from the entrance, the jump net would be fired off from a pair of buoys tethered to the sea floor. This net would leap into the air and had worked well enough in forcing the Caravors from pursuing their fighters.

Maila acknowledged and pushed her thrusters hard, the sea sprayed up against her cockpit and blurred her vision. She heard two clicks rapidly come over her comm, Seger was unhappy at their maneuvers. "We can't go up, in the time it takes us to climb over the cloud, we'll just be overtaken!" Maila replied, guessing at what his disdain was about. Really, her wing-mate took the cool silent type too far. "Watch for the Strangle Lions, they agitate the water just before they jump!" They boosted across the ocean surface, sharply turning at the moment a Strangle Lion burst from the depths. The predator had been stripped of its flesh before it reached the water again. Seger went wide, his path curved around the large rock cluster. Maila took it as a challenge, the sharp turns required to go through the obstacle demanding her attention, her blood thundering in her head. The excitement driving her reflexes and intuition. "R4! Divert power from engines one and three, alter the thrust correction to forty five by one thirty five!" Her X-Wing slammed hard and propped itself into a vertical position. Maila ripped the starfighter through the rocky island forest, her engine adjustments whipping it through the spires like a howling blade. The Caravors slammed up against the walls like a tyrannical hailstorm behind her. "We're almost there Giz! Get ready!" She said as Palatine base came into view. Maila glanced back making sure her wingman was still keeping pace.

"This is indigos seven and eight with fire support, we can pepper these sons-of-bitches to give you some wiggle room!" Lugo shouted over the comms, red beams of light flashing out from the wing mounted cannons as the pair swooped out from inside the base. The shots zipped past Seger and Maila as they made their approach, slamming into the Caravors behind them. With each sizzle of burned flesh the creatures shrieked. Just as Maila was about to pass over the buoys holding the Jump net the water beneath her shuddered and bubbled as a set of tentacles shot from the water.

"Strangle lion on you nine!" Salya shouted over the comms. The force of the creature slamming into the underbelly of her fighter threw off her trajectory as the creature wrapped its tentacles around her wings. The added weight pulling the ship down towards the frothing water.

"R4 drop power in thrusters one and three! Redirect to two and four" She shouted, as the engines cut the ship spun violently, ripping the creature from the water as Maila went it a corkscrew spin. Seger flew in from behind firing off several volleys, each set hitting the creature square as it spun. The flesh sizzling away from it as it's tentacles detached from its body and it fell back into the water. The Jump net engaged, sending the large electrified canvas into the sky. One by one the Caravors slammed into it and fell back into the water, causing it to froth violently with their thrashing.

"Cleared for entry seven through ten come on home!" Giz said into the mic. The four X-wings slowed and entered the large hangar, setting down in their own specific landing zone.

After landing, Maila Covell pulled the release lever for her cockpit, took off her helmet and shook her short blonde hair. Her helmet leaving it sticking up in odd places. She looked at the pair of siblings as they landed, they were placed higher in the flight than her and even if she was a rookie, Maila didn't like other newer pilots overtaking her. Which in the case of Indigo squadron didn't mean much since it was barely a month old, but still her competitive nature overtook her. She grabbed her flight jacket from where she left it at her X-Wing's docking station, pulling it over her shoulders and joined Seger as he walked towards the briefing room. "What's the deal with Indigo five and six?" She asked her wingman incredulously, "We were able to escape a whole swarm of Caravors and Strangle Lions, but they can't handle a small ambush?" Her wingman Seger give one of his rare replies, "Today it's them. Tomorrow maybe me, maybe you." Kriff, that accent really sent her heart fluttering. Why did he have to be such a blast door all the time? They entered the briefing room and waited for the others to join them and wondered what the upcoming mission would entail.

The group of four pilots sat in the briefing room for about ten minutes. Seger quietly opened a document on his wrist tablet, Maila sat off to the side watching the twins as they conversed between the two of them. Laughing and joking with each other about the other's flying skills. A short while later a tall man walked into the room with a silver protocol droid, his blonde hair slicked back, the beard on his face was neatly trimmed and clean. He wore the signiature cream shirt of an officer under his black leather coat. His boots were scuffed and well worn as was the jacket, signs of a long while of use. The four stood as he entered, turning towards the holotable in the center of the room.

"Thank you all for coming" the man said with the slightest hint of an Imperial accent. "My name is Lieutenant Commander Lindmon Crest. I will be taking over as your flight commander for the foreseeable future." He inserted a small chip into the table, the image of Palatine condensed over the table. Palatine base blinked green several times. "From this day forward you are no longer flying with Indigo company. You will be transferring your X-wings and supplies here." As he pointed at the planet a second location began to flash. "We have prepared enough hangar space for fifteen fighters and one shuttle. Both of my ships are already bunked up there."

Maila was the first to speak up. "Sir, if we're no longer indigo company, what are we?"

"I'm glad you asked, Maila Covell, was it? Young for how good a flier you are. Risky too, but that never seemed to have slowed you down. You will be flying with the Spade's Gambit. On paper we do not exist. And for good reason. Each of you have proven yourselves to be top notch flyers, and for what we're going to be doing I need the best. You will be privy to information only we have access to, and I don't think I need to emphasize how important it is that no information gets out of our hands. That is part of the reason we are keeping this squad small."

The twins looked to each other, Lugo excited and Salya with a hint of concern. "So we're gonna be flying some under the radar kinda shit huh? Count me in!" Lugo said enthusiasticly. Seger simply nodded, listening intently.

"I will give you the full run down of our mission once you reach the spire. The entrance is through the top, there are five bays carved into it. You will have to pilot yourselves in vertically to the landing bays but that shouldn't be a trouble for any of you I don't think. We have done it this way to ensure that none of our pilots are at risk from the wildlife. We would do it here as well, but unfortunately only a handful of pilots would be able to fly accurately enough to make the landings."

"Sir, why is it necessary to have a secret hangar?" Maila asked curiously, she was excited at the prospect of being chosen for a specialized group of fighters. Yet it seemed to her that a secret hangar on an already secret base was overkill. What were they hiding? Palatine was in the depths of the Unknown Region, and just recently created. Was Indigo squadron selected beforehand to be a part of Spades Gambit or had they been screening the pilots this whole time? The Lieutenant said that it was top secret, were there top secret mechanics or would she have to perform her own adjustments on her starfighter? She wasn't very good at maintenance. Either way she was not going to let this opportunity pass.

"We have our reasons Maila, which you will see when you arrive at the Spire. Suffice to say I will be flying with you on most of our missions, and my fighter is...special." Lindmon said with only a brief pause. "We have technicians and operators on site, they will be able to take care of the fighters maintenance concerns and upgrades."

"Upgrades?" Lugo's eyes lit up at the prospect of an even better fighter.

"That is correct. Each of your fighters are going to be outfitted with state of the art scanners, thrusters, and weapons. The parts are already in place at the Spire, and will be installed upon your arrival. Are there any other questions at this immediate point in time? I want you all back in your fighters and docked at the Spire within the hour. We will be having a full run down of our plan as soon as the brass is complete with their game plan."

Lugo and Salya exchanged glances before turning back and in unison said "nope."

Seger slid his X-Wing into the secret entrance of the Spire, the Commander wasn't joking about it being a difficult maneuver. An almost sheer vertical drop from the highest point of the cliff. Instead of making dozens of minor repulser engine adjustments like his wing-mate, Seger took a different approach and simply boosted power to his shields. The ride was a little bumpy but he would get used to it after a couple pass throughs.

After he landed and set his helmet down in the seat of his X-Wing, Seger watched his wing-mate climb down the ladder from her own star-fighter. One of the youngest pilots he'd seen, she was also the hottest flyer. Maila took risks that other pilots wouldn't even consider. Not because they wouldn't be able to pull those maneuvers off, but simply because she would go out of her way to make things more challenging.

It made the usual distance he kept from his comrades feel more justified. She would be dead soon. Like many other hotshot pilots that he'd seen, they burned hot for a few missions and then fwhoosh they were gone. Seger just felt a professional distance made things easier on him. Close bonds, especially in the military, always had a sense of tragedy.

He barely had the time to really consider the details of this secret flight group, he couldn't really call it a squadron since it seemed like just five of them. Having a smaller group could be beneficial in some scenarios, but loosing the support of an entire squadron made him have second thoughts. Seger hoped that there was some tactical asset that made up for the loss in star-fighter support they could have during their missions.

During his training at the Imperial academy he realized one of the primary flaws of the simulations. The survivability of their own TIE fighters was laughable, especially against the T-65 X-Wings that the Rebellion was known for. When he left the academy it wasn't for some righteous cause or the plight of oppressed planets. Seger just realized that he wasn't on the winning team.

He was glad he made that decision now that he looked back on it. There were many close calls he had endured in the T-65 that would have been instant death had he stayed in an Imperial fighter. That was what it really boiled down to, survivability, and he assumed it was because of that reason he was selected for this special group. Seger Terrano didn't think he was that great of a pilot, he just made sure to put himself in the best positions during a dogfight. Keep out of crossed lanes of fire, communicate with your squadron and most importantly don't do anything risky. Each time you do it's a gamble, and several times he had seen the luck run out for talented pilots.

Seger met witht his young wing-mate next to a pile of upgrade kits, their lids snapped open for the maintainers. He gave her a short nod in acknowledgment as she casually tousled the short blonde hair on her head. It was a shame he thought, for her to have one foot already in the grave just because of her piloting habits. They both examined the interior of the Spire and waited for the other pilots to enter through the vertical tunnel entrance.

Lugo and Salya's fighters followed close behind the other two, the repulsors blasting as they descended. The pair slowely moved to their own landing sites, directed by the deck officer. The inside of the Spire was quite spatious, the roof overhead arching well above them. Five holes leading out to the sky dotted the ceiling, each just large enough for a fighter to fit through. The sound of crashing waves echoed dully through the cavern walls. To the south side of the room was a large canvas sheet, portioning off a section of the room. Wires and tubes snaked their way into it and the voices of technicians on the other side jumbled together and echoed off the walls. Around their own specific landing sites were various monitors and piping, refueling stations and maintenance ports for the upkeep of their fighters. The four stood together in the room for a short while before Lieutenant Commander Crest entered from a small doorway off the western wall.

"This way now. We will cover our upcoming mission specs and the more sensitive details of your new assignment." He called out. Salya looked cautiously behind them at the canvas. "No worries, you will know what's back there in just a moment." Lindmon said with a slight chuckle. The four walked towards where he waited. Exiting the hangar chamber into a low hallway, seemingly carved into the rock and situated with braces to hold it all together, small hallways led off from the primary walkway. Lindmon pointed to each in turn as they passed. "A short ways down each of these are your quarters, I promise they are a bit more spatious than the hall itself. You two, the twins, you will be sharing a room, I hope that isn't unacceptable. We have been trying to save space where we can, but as such your space is a touch larger than the others, you're just down that way. Further up here we have our briefing room, and off that is a path leading to a transport tunnel that leads to the main base. It's small, but it has a track for a cart to get you from here to there and back without the need to walk. We will be upgrading things as we get the ability to do so."

The group entered into a larger space, the smooth round walls arched up over their heads about fifteen feet. Pads covered the walls to dampen the echos. A large holotable sat in the center of the room, and on a wall just to their left was a row of monitors showing maps and data that they weren't familiar with just yet.

Maila dragged herself into the briefing room, her shoulders slumped in despair. After everything that she had gone through this was how it all turned out, her muddled and shattered mind went through the past few months trying to piece together which decision lead her to this moment so she could revert back. Change the outcome of her dejected future. She sighed heavily as she felt a hot brand of despair run itself through her eyes, she reared her head back and questioned if there was some cosmic power in the universe that worked against her. Maila felt she made good decisions, worked on the side of good. Why then must she be punished like this? Was the universe getting her back for the indomitable lucky streak that allowed her to become an X-Wing pilot? There must be some reason, something to blame...Separate quarters. Like a nightmare manifested in one fell swoop, this Lieutenant shattered her dreams. Military quarters were notoriously cramped, everyone she had talked to described them as such. She could only dream of the closeness shared. The quick intimacies...There was one space available and it was taken by a couple of siblings! That was her death knell. The odds of a group of twins assigned to both of the squadrons she joined were astronomically small. If they weren't a part of the team there was a chance that room could have been hers. In her mind she crumpled the dreams plastered on the wall and crushed them in a trash compactor. Gone was the future of sharing nights with her dashing wing mate. Catching glimpses of him stepping out of the refresher, steam still fresh on his body. She looked over at her wing mate as he examined some of the monitors and data screens lining the room, the orange pilot suits were not the most flattering or form fitting uniform but she knew that beneath it was the chiseled body of a soldier. There had to be, her fantasies demanded it.

"What?" Seger asked sharply. Maila has been glaring him up and down. Take your suit off that's what. "It's nothing." Maila replied with a pout, she crossed her arms and pretended to look at the screen. Whatever this mission was, she hoped it was worth having to endure this travesty. Maila started to notice some of the details shown on the screens, a zoomed in galaxy map showing the Unknown Region and small yellow dots indicating the Imperial communication stations near Palatine base. She was aware of that part of the mission, as was the rest of Indigo squadron, it was one of the main reasons that the base was created. What she wasn't familiar with was the thin red triangle slashing across the map. Was that a part of this new mission, or was it just another piece of information on a need to know basis? The feeling of excitement built within her, she realized that each day brought her closer to a real combat mission. No more training simulations or test flights, a real mission.

Lindmon circled around to the other side of the table, a small R3 droid rolled its way in from behind them.

"Our first mission is recon only, I will be making the jump first, to keep out of radar and scanners. We will be making the jump in time with this." A large image of an Imperial class Star Destroyer appeared over the table. "We have identified this ship as ISD _Havoc_. She makes a jump between the three compounds on a daily schedule. As such we will be making a jump to the first compound when she jumps to the third, and after we scout the first we will move to the second. We will be saving the third for when she makes her final jump back to the first outpost. We will be maintaining a distance away and determining the outpost's weaknesses and familiarizing ourselves with the zones. You four will be providing fire support for me and my _King of Spades_." The image of an Imperial phantom floated over the table.

"Officially, the _King_ does not exist. No Republic records show that we have her, and all supplies for her move through undocumented secondary sources. It is of the utmost importance that the Imperial remnant not be made aware that the _King_ exists. As such if there is any scramble from the outpost or any sign that the star destroyer is jumping early we are to eliminate the base as quick as possible. We will have no support if this is the case. The _Blue Diver_ will draw the attention of the _Havoc_ to give us time, but we likely won't have more than thirty minutes to get in and out."

An image of the first outpost coalesced over the table. The large metal structure was built into an asteroid, surrounded by smaller orbiting rocks. Each of the rocks lit up in turn, flashing red, twelve in total.

"Each of the outpost's supporting moons is a transmitter. In order for our main mission to go unnoticed we will need to destroy any fighters released to dispatch us and destroy all twelve of these moons. After which we will need to take out the primary dish on the base, here."

A yellow flashing highlited a large dish on the top of the outpost.

"Should we hit the twenty minute mark we will need to jump out of the system. My fighter is equipped with jamming equipment, so we will be able to keep our arrival mostly secret up until that point. At which I will need to drop the equipment to make the jump. If those dishes are not destroyed prior then there is a high chance that the empire will be able trace our jumps and come after us. I don't think I need to emphasize the importance of this mission."

The image over the table returned to the original galaxy map.

"If there are any questions ask them now. Otherwise you will be provided your new callsigns and we will be leaving in just under an hour, when the _Havoc_ makes its next jump."

Maila itched to get into her cockpit, the thought of a full scale raid under pressure made her wish it was happening right now. Twelve different priority targets that all needed to be destroyed for them to escape. She could just imagine her X-Wing shooting volleys of proton torpedoes into the Imperial structures, gouts of hot molten metal bursting into a fiery explosion.

"Sir, what is the purpose of this recon mission." Seger said, his voice even and respectful. It would have been unnecessary he thought, to introduce himself at this point. He knew that they were all hand selected by this officer, he knew them already. "It seems that we already have the _Havoc_ 's schedule, route, as well as the station's important targets. Why are we risking exposure to infiltrate? What is it we are looking for?"

Lindmon rapped on the display in front of him pulling up the image of the galactic map and zooming in on the Unknown Region and subsequently the red outlined area.

"Our primary mission is data recovery. While today's mission is recon, if it turns south we will be performing a dash and grab here and now. The _Blue Diver_ will attack the second structure, hopefully splitting the attention of the _Havoc_ and it's escort. We are primarily looking to pull any info beneficial to the Republic, but as a primary we are looking for pathing information of one ISD _Chimera_. It is of the utmost importance that we retrieve this data, as it will aid in the location of a person of interest." Lindmon took a deep breath before continuing. "A Jedi by the name of Ezra Bridger. The red outline you see is the search area as of now. My crew of the _Saqorian Zephyr_ has spent the last several months tracking down any info we can find to aid in that pursuit and it has brought us here. As the _Blue_ _Diver_ will begin an attack on the second installation, we will not have the fleet support. Which is why I personally hand picked the four of you. Your reputations have made you essential in this mission, and those continuing in the future."

Salya frowned at this. "A Jedi? Aren't they just a story told to younglings?"

Lugo smiled "yea! Knights fighting for the good of the systems with mystical powers, fighting against the forces of evil!"

"That's right, but they are far from myth. Any information we can get is good but the path of the _Chimera_ is our primary target." Lindmon stated, looking around at the four.

"Your new callsigns are as follows; Maila, Ten of Spades, Seger, Jack of Spades, Lugo, Joker of Spades, and Salya, Queen of Spades."

Maila reeled from the influx of new information. A swift attempt to recover the data using a prototype stealth TIE fighter, on top of this bizarre rank structure and call signs. She had heard of a Jedi before, mostly only used to refer to the reverent Luke Skywalker. Maila has assumed it was a special title reserved only for legendary pilots whose skills were unrivaled. As she listened to the twins talk about Jedi powers though, she realized her previous thoughts were wrong. So they were some kind of mystical monks? What does that mean, and who is Ezra Bridger? There was a lot of resources going into finding this person whoever they were. Besides that she didn't quite grasp the callsigns, what was a Jack of Spades? Was it higher than her ten? Did that mean she was the lowest among the group...

Seger was not so disparaged, in fact the briefing gave him a satisfactory amount of information about the mission and his commanding officer. From his time as an Imperial academy pilot he knew the old game of fifty two was a gambler's game. It was ancient and favored among some Imperials, more strict and rule oriented than the smuggler's Sabacc. This told him two things, that his commanding officer was renowned enough to have been taught this game by his peers, and that he used to be an Imperial. Seger only overhead a few of the rules of the game while he was an Imperial pilot, and it was apparently a heavily guarded secret among the upper ranks of Imperial officers.

The information about this missing Jedi was news to him, and quite surprising. There was no information about Jedi at all during the reign of the Empire, and all of what he knew about them were the tall tales spoken to children. Rumors of Skywalker's mystical powers seemed nonsensical, but Lieutenant Crest was resolute in the information.

"Sir, I respectfully disagree with the plan of this mission." Seger said once again, his voice heavy with the Outer Rim accent. "Going in without support is reckless, I believe that caution is the best course of action." Though he expressed his concerns with the mission, Lindmon noticed that Seger did not say anything about not going. His compliance to the orders given outweighed the concerns he seemed to have.

Maila was shocked at how much Seger had been talking during this briefing. She started to believe that maybe he just didn't speak to her specifically. Was she annoying to him, or did the older pilot feel like there was nothing important she could possibly say? Maila was starting to have her confidence ripped away from her. She couldn't wait to get back in the cockpit, prove all of these thoughts wrong.

"I appreciate your candor Seger. And trust me when I say that I agree whole heartedly. It is not my intent that this mission turn, but should it that's why I picked the best of the best. Now, one last point of note, so as to not surprise any of you in the future." Lindmon pulled a small metal cylinder from his belt. "And to prove to you all that what I say isn't just wishful thinking." He flipped a switch on the device and a bright white blade erupted from the base. As the blade came to life he held it out in front of him and let go. Lugo started towards it to catch it but caught himself as the weapon floated in mid air, listlessly moving around the table. "The tales of the Jedi are no fairytale. I'm with you all one hundred percent in this mission. And I will do everything in my power to ensure we come home at the end of the day."

Lugo's eyes widened, as did the smile on his face. Salya stood, mouth agape and mind reeling. They weren't just stories, this was real. And standing right in front of her no less.

"That is so cool!" Lugo shouted excitedly.

Seger looked shocked for a moment before regaining his composure. He said nothing but Lindmon was able to get a sense of abashedness from him. Seger must have known the kind of trust the Rebellion held in the Jedi and regretted his mistrust of Lindmon's guidance.

Maila stared, brows furrowed. What the hell was this? The excitement of the mission and this new secret group vanished from Maila's mind in an instant. While the others reveled in Lieutenant Crest's display of power, a symbol of trust and hope amongst them. Maila could only recoil as if she'd been slapped in the face.

Before she had thought that a Jedi was an exceptional pilot, recognized by the galaxy to be unparalleled. Maila came to idolize the only known Jedi, Luke Skywalker. She had watched the holo recreations of the Death Star attack dozens, no, hundreds of times. Imagining herself hurtling through the trench and taking on the whole battle station. It always escaped her, how he was able to react so quickly, evade near death situations without more than a scratch.

The answer she found now was crushing. Maila bit her lower lip to try and hold the emotions that built up inside her. He was a cheater. They all were. Playing with some unseen advantage that other pilots, other normal humans weren't aware of. Using their mystic powers to become better than everyone, regardless of the difference in skill. How many other pilots she idolized were like this, like the Jedi? Pretending that they were as skilled as the best pilots while using the crutch of mystical powers as an edge.

The thoughts burned in her mind and caught in her throat. Maila wanted to be the best pilot in the galaxy, this mission, this new assignment had only shown her that she wasn't even capable of flying in the same league as the best. She wondered if she would even be able to put up a fight against that kind of power. The Lieutenant was able to manipulate that saber and move it through the air without even straining himself. What other kind of abilities were they capable of, she thought as her eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Lindmon as he tucked the saber back into his belt.

Maila glared at Lindmon, her body hot with jealousy and distaste. Jedi were just intruders in her domain, using their powers to make a mockery of talent and the experience true pilots gained over years. This was what she decided. Even with that, her desire to be the greatest overcame her senses. This was war after all. She wanted to have that power, if this Lieutenant could be a Jedi then why not her? She didn't know how these Jedi obtained such powers, if it could simply be taught she wanted it.

"Is it possible..." Maila spoke up. She hoped she was able to keep her voice from shaking. "To learn this power?" She hated the words that came out of her mouth. It was as if she had admitted defeat already, without even trying to fight back. Maila knew how strong this power must have been though, in just a few months after destroying the Death Star, Luke Skywalker crested one of the most renowned star fighter squadrons in the Rebellion. Rogue Squadron. With him as it's leader. If she had his abilities who knows what things should could accomplish?

"I've been told that the Force lies in all of us, in varying amounts, but I'm not really sure exactly how. I myself only just started learning. Although I had a good teacher." Lindmon eyed Maila, the feeling of jealousy pouring off her. "But, it's something that takes a world of control. And not something i'm in a position to teach. You all will be flying with me, i'm trusting you with a secret even the tops in the admiralty don't know. I expect it to remain that way."

Lugo and Salya looked at each other, one excited and one stunned to silence.

"Well I'm ready. With that kind of power on our side how can we lose?" Lugo said, almost jumping in place.

"That's good. Go and get ready, suit up and prep, your fighters should be done receiving their tune up. Dismissed." Lindmon said with a finality. The group began to filter out of the room and back to the hangar.

"Maila, hold back a second." Lindmon said just as she was about to exit, her face flushed. The rest of the group looked back as they exit. She stood across from him for a long moment in silence. Finally, after what seemed an eternity Lindmon spoke again.

"You're upset. It's not hard to tell. I won't have that in my flight, so talk to me. Get it off your chest, speak freely."

"Yeah I'm upset. So what?" Maila said defiantly. "Are you going to kick me from the mission because I have feelings?" Maila crossed her arms across her chest and huffed. "I found out what 'Jedi' means just now. Turns out it's not a title for legendary pilots, just another way to deceive everyone into thinking they were."

"I've always wanted to be the best pilot, and I'm pretty damn good at it! I thought I could use my talent to fly on the same level as Luke Skywalker." She shouted as she paced around the briefing room. The anger inside her bursting out of her boiling blood. "You know that he grew up as a farmer? It's things like that that made me believe that I could do it too! Turns out it's just because he had some magic power helping him!"

Lindmon stood silently as she paced, waiting patiently for her to finish. When she finally did she turned to him with a steely glare, her face flushed.

"You won't be removed, I picked you specifically because you're a hot blooded pilot. I'm sorry that you had to find out about Jedi in this way. It's a surprise for sure, hell I didn't even believe it at first. But you are a damned good flier. Reckless, by the reports anyways. Fully dropping your shields to speed through your flight exam? Ballsy, the kind of ballsy I like but at the same time you can't be the best flier around if you careen into a cliff. I don't care where you grew up, I don't care what kind of training you have, you're a damned good pilot. The lot of you are Aces in your own rights. Luke Skywalker was a damned good pilot even before he was called Jedi. You have the talent and I expect that the missions I put you through are going to make you even better. You don't need the force to be good, and having the force doesn't make you good. I flew top of my class at the academy. They called me the Ace of Scarif after the Rebel assault there. I didn't know how to use the Force then, didn't even know it existed. Reaction time, foresight, improvisation. These things make a good pilot, not some power." He stepped around the table to stand in front of her. "Your upset, and that's ok, hell I would be surprised if any of you expected any of this. But for fucks sake, don't let it get to you. If you really want to learn how this whole thing works look inside yourself, control your emotions and maybe you will feel it. Do you ever get pulled in a direction? Maybe your instincts kick in and you sail around some hazard you saw at the last minute? That's it right there. Now saddle up, and prove to me you deserve to be here? Take a second and breath and then suit up. See you in the hangar."

With that Lindmon motioned to the R3 droid, which chirped a couple of times before rolling behind him down the passage towards the hangar.

Maila stood by herself for a long minute. Finally she reached up and smacked her face several times, wiping a small tear from her cheek.

"I'll show him, if this is the best he thinks I can do then he has another thing coming." She said to herself before turning and stomping out of the room.

Back in the hangar there was a flurry of activity. Technicians ran between fighters, finalizing last minute checks. Seger and Lugo were already seated in their fighters, Salya watched as Maila entered the room. She looked quizzically at her as Maila crossed to her station, the latter waved her off, throwing up a thumbs up as she picked up her helmet and put it over her head.

Across the bay the canvas partition moved to the side, behind it sat a sleek TIE Phantom, the glossy black finish streaked with orange. Several technicians unplugged tubes from the bottom. Lindmon stood next to the fighter in a sleek black flight suit, the symbol of the republic stitched over the Imperial insignia on his right shoulder. The front hatch lay open, with a ladder leading up to the cockpit. The R3 droid was slotted into a droid slot that had been thrown together in the co-pilot's seat. Lindmon climbed up into it and looked out into the bay where the rest of his pilots sat waiting. As he put on the TIE pilot helmet his voice crackled over the comms.

"Alright Spades, time to show them what we've got and why we're the best damned pilots in the fleet."

A single click came across the comms, Ready, followed by a short hoot from Lugo.

"Ready and raring Lieutenant" Salya said, the hatch over her head closing.

"Give me wings and watch me fly." Maila responded over the comms.

With a final thumbs up from the deck operator the sound of engines filled the space. Lindmon lifted up and glided deftly into the center, angeling his fighter skywards before rocketing up the tube with a screech, just behind him and not wanting to be the last one out, Maila punched her fighter out and up followed close behind by The rest of the squad.


	12. Fighter fight

The fighters shot out of the peak of the Spire, racing skyward. As they breeched the atmosphere the _Blue_ _Diver_ came into view, it's bow listing outwards away from the planet, ready to make the jump if necessary. Lindmon's fighter soared ahead of the others.

"This is King, radio check."

"Joker standing by!" Lugo's voiced chirped quickly followed by Salya with a calm "Queen standing by."

A single click from Seger confirmed his existence.

"Ten. Standing by." Maila responded with only a hint of a sour tone.

"Maintain holding pattern. Going stealth to jump. When you clear hyperspace stay out of short range scanners and wait for my call to jump. Will need to confirm jamming." Lindmon said, as his comms went silent a blue shimmer slid across the Phantom, followed briefly by a visual ripple as the fighter dematerialized from their view. A moment later a small blue flash was the only hint that a fighter had ever been there before it lept into hyperspace.

As the blue lines of light condensed once more in his view port, the floating citadel of the imperial communications tower came into view. The asteroid floated harmlessly in space, surrounded by other large pieces of rock and many other smaller ones. Lindmon flipped a switch on his dash board, initiating the ships Jamming function. After a moment with no sign of reaction from the base he reopened his comm channels.

"Spades, your path is clear and chatter is dead. See you soon."

Maila thrust the hyperspace controls forward and her X-Wing accelerated into the churning blue tunnel of stars. The Imperial comm station was close and it wasn't long before her nav computer chimed, signaling that the destination was coming up. The four X-Wings popped into existence and the large Imperial outpost came into view. The listing asteroids had moved their positions slightly as they drifted through space. A thick nebula covered their view screens as it churned behind the installation. It's roiling orange and green gasses superheated, causing magnetic disturbances so powerful it could pull ships that tried to cross it out of hyperspace. The nebula was a natural defense as it left only one approach to the station.Maila gripped the control stick nervously. Her first true combat mission, not just a flight patrol or tussling with the Palatine wildlife. She pushed the X-Wing forward, cruising into formation with Salya and Lugo, with Seger following several fighter lengths behind. Maila checked her sensors for Lindmon but all that showed up were the four X-Wing signals. She glanced around hoping to be able to spot that same shimmer she noticed it gave off right after it cloaked, but to no avail. They may be able to get comm signals through but while the phantom was cloaked it was essentially invisible.

Lindmon pulled his fighter above the others. "Right with you all. Ten and Jack, take left, sweep around and get a lay of the land. Joker, Queen take right. Stay frosty. Something doesn't feel right." Lindmon hovered in place, watching the sets of fighters sweep off to their regions.

Seger was normally very cautious, prone to taking wide arcs of approach than others and even forgoing certain kill shots if he knew it would put him in an unfavorable cross fire. The Lieutenant's worry put him even more on edge, after he displayed his Jedi abilities he had more insight and clairvoyance to the situation than Seger could comprehend. As he controlled his X-Wing behind his wing mate, who flew with a little more caution for once, he added the locations of the asteroids and their base positions to his nav computer. Uploading them to the others in the flight, in the midst of a battle it would be beneficial to have their most recent locations already logged so they didn't have to spend too much time searching. The Lieutenant made it clear that if they were engaged they would not be able to leave until the entire base was scrubbed, he couldn't risk them missing one in their escape. He increased his nav computer's draw distance so that he had the entire comm station in the screen. It wouldn't help him track enemy fighters, but it made it easier to see the big picture. Seger typed into the one handed control board on his right, focused on identifying each outlier and labeling their positions as they flew. Every few moments he would glance up to check his wing mate's position, adjusting his course to keep along her projected path. He didn't feel the need to follow directly behind her, a general course was all he needed. Besides he would find it tiresome if he tried to stay on her wing the entire time, she twisted and juked her star-fighter erratically most likely to shake off the nerves of her first mission.

Lugo and Salya flew wing to wing around the outskirts of the base, every so often a small ping would show up on their scanners, a new target sent by Seger and Maila. They did the same, mapping out the region as best they could. The base was eerily quiet. It was nice not having a squadron of TIEs to deal with as soon as they left the exit doors of the _Blue Diver_ on the few occasions the squadrons were scrambled during their trips.

"Hey Queeny, watch that big boy to your left." He said, the response was a quiet huff.

"Keep it down out there. They may be jammed but if they're scanning signal paths then-Joker at your six! Recon droid!" Lindmon slammed his shuttle right, sweeping in behind the two X-wings as the recon droid lept from the inside of the nearby asteroid. It's repulsors fired as it made its way back towards the base. In an instant Salya flipped her fighter, red flashes darting out from the wing mounted cannons. The shots slammed into the asteroid, narrowly missing the tiny target. A moment later the _King_ rematerialized, green flashes shooting from it's own canons, smashing into the recon droid and sending its parts floating into the void before the fighter vanished from view. The squadron fell silent, each of them floating quietly on their own paths, watching their surroundings.

In an instant several more recon droids lept from their own hiding places and raced towards the base, chirping away.

"Bogeys! Take em out! Shit. _Blue Diver, Blue Diver_ this is _King_ start mission, the clock is ticking!"

Lindmon's Phantom slammed back into full speed, green lances arching across space, his fighter flashing into existence and out again with each shot. Lugo and Salya scrambled, Lugo flipping his craft back around to come alongside his sister's.

"Fun's starting guys and we're the life of the party!" He shouted into the comms.

Maila wrenched her control stick hard to the right, banking her X-Wing sharply towards the fray. It was still a great distance between the groups, Ten and Jack were dozens of kilometers away from Queen and Joker. If she pushed her fighter hard she could be there quickly. Her engines flared to life as she primed her thrusters, not wanting to be left out of the kills. A double click over her comms jerked her out of those previous thoughts and she tumbled her fighter to see Seger already moving to engage the closest asteroid relay. Since they had been spotted he was already moving on to the contingency plan. Destroy the entire base within the allotted time. He was in position strangely fast, Maila was sure that he was so far behind that he wasn't even licking her ion trails. There was no way he could have reacted from the comm chatter in time to get so close to the relay. That would be true if that were the case, but Seger was able to throw his proton torpedos down the throat of the relay so quickly because he reacted much sooner than Lugo's announcement. The moment Lindmon and the others engaged the recon droids they appeared on his scanners. The super wide zoom that his computer was set to allowed him to see the information instantly. He didn't have to wait for an order, the briefing was clear and his torpedos struck true, decimating the structure of the relay. He swung the star-fighter away and pulled the lever inside his cockpit to activate the servomotors of his S-foils, locking them in attack position.

Lugo and Salya flipped around each other, laser fire arching across space. One after another the droids were blasted to scrap only for another to seemingly take it's place.

"Fall back Queen, Joker, follow Jack and Ten's lead get on those orbitals, Jack, Ten, take out your six and prep for dog fight. I'm going on for primary dish and to get in behind them when their TIEs scramble."

Lugo and Salya's X-wing's S foils separated, swinging in close around a nearby asteroid before moving in to begin their assault. Salya was the first on their side to launch her torpedo, the missile slamming hard into the orbiting scan station. Bits of debris careened into space, bouncing off the shields surrounding their fighters.

Lindmon shrieked straight towards the center of the massive cloud of rocks, the large dish on the top of the base shimmered blue momentarily.

"Primary target has a shield, we're going to need to get inside and get that down along with the data. Bogeys incoming, Jack, Ten on me."

To the rest of the squadron Lindmon's voice was eerily calm. His orders coming through rapid fire as if he was watching from above the battle. What they couldn't see under his helmet were the beads of sweat on his brow and the numerous dots appearing on his dash, prep signals from the TIEs stationed inside the facility.

As he swept his fighter back around in a crisp arch the first TIE fighters screamed from a hangar on the underside of the base. Swarming out.

"King I've got twelve targets coming in on Joker and I and twelve more headed out towards Jack and Ten." Salya's voice broke through, the strain evident.

"Hellova first mission King!" Lugo shouted, as another torpedo met it's target, shattering the rock and metal.

The twelve TIE fighters roared towards Maila and Seger's position. As the second orbital relay exploded they crashed into their position, shelling the asteroid with a hail of laser fire. They swarmed around Maila like agitated hook-bats,pivoting quickly and screamed past as only the agile TIE fighters could.

"I've got a whole squad of TIE's on me!" Maila shouted over the comm. She watched as two of the swarm exploded in quick succession. Her wing mate firing at range was picking them off as they swarmed around her. The shields surrounding her fighter bursting from the storm of laser fire raining upon her, internal control alarms screamed inside the cockpit.

She whipped her head around trying to get a hold of the situation, each time she got her fire control system lined up on one TIE it juked away. Another swarming towards her and filling her vision with green blaster fire. She wanted to shut her eyes, turn away from the overwhelming number of fighters trying to tear her apart. She pulled the trigger on her control stick and four blasts of laser fire burst from her cannons. The shots grazed the side panel of one of the ten remaining TIE fighters, it warbled slightly before righting itself and juking the remaining shots. Maila grit her teeth, the panic and frustration sending her thoughts into a spiral. She just couldn't focus, was she going to die here? Maila had never been shot at before, her cockpit screens were filled with blaring red exclamations and raucous alarms. Over all that noise she heard something that focused all of her emotions. Three clicks.

Her heart thundered through her body, she could feel the sweat beading across her skin with each pulse. It wasn't even something she said seriously, so she didn't expect him to remember, just a joke about his comm habits. Maila felt her mouth moving, she had no idea what was even said, but she knew what needed to be done now. She sent her fighter into a tumble and unconsciously ripped the S-foil latch back, closing the wings as the profile of her fighter thinned out like a blade. She didn't even notice as the cockpit onboard computers switched off, her alarms cutting out as the power drained from the systems leaving her cockpit quiet and dark. Maila was glad he remembered, she didn't think that he would ever use that signal, it was simple. It just meant.

Go fast.

The burst of ion efflux from her engines blasted a white-pink scar against the black of space. A long streak trailed behind the X-Wing as it hurtled around the asteroid and screamed away from the cloud of TIE fighters that had previously been entangled with it.

It took a moment before the TIEs whipped around to pursue the X-Wing as it moved towards the next orbital relay. The faster TIEs howled in hot pursuit and took long range pot shots as they attempted to destroy the invader.

Inside the X-Wing cockpit was quiet, Maila could only hear her excited breaths and the mechanisms creaking from her ship. The whine of the engines was loud and vibrated across the entire craft. Her speed brought the orbital relay closer by the second, and without power to her targeting computer she would have a split second to fire the torpedos and pull up.

Her wide eyes glanced up and spotted a group of the TIEs moving to block her escape. If she went up she would run headlong into a storm of fire. Maila would have to continue forward then. The torpedos launched from their pods and Maila barrel rolled upwards. The X-Wing twisted into a vertical position and slid through the pronged gap at the top of the relay like a credchip in a vend machine. She passed through in the same moment the torpedos exploded against the relay station. The TIEs pursuing her scrambled around the explosion, the two groups moved separately to try and entrap her.

Maila heard a quick confirmation click over her comm system followed by a double click, it seemed that still had power. She threw the star fighter into a long banking loop, trying to get a sense of her position without a sensor screen was difficult and she had no idea where the TIEs were now. Halfway through the maneuver another click snapped into her ears. Maila straightened out the fighter and boosted forward in the direction designated, she saw the next relay station come across her view screen and understood. Seger was able to guide her position at a distance.

Four brilliant red flashes erupted from the flank, exploding one of the four TIEs currently pursuing Maila. Her wing mate was far away and passed behind a cluster of smaller rocks before the enemy could retaliate. Seger adjusted his navigational computer, as he created pathing vectors for himself and Maila. A quick double click, click sent her on his projected path, and Seger moved to his own intercept course. After a moment Maila's X-Wing hurtled past his view and he opened fire. The laser blasts connecting with the trail of TIEs, another destroyed. Seger wondered if he should work a few steps ahead, Maila was going incredibly fast, and that speed kept the TIEs from gaining position on her.

Seger wondered where the other group of TIEs went, he called to his droid to adjust the shields to double rear. Just as the shields power increased Seger's star-fighter was slammed with a barrage of fire. He cursed and slammed his craft forward. Seger hated being caught out of position, he may have blasted a few of these fighters with his intercept strategy but he wasn't sure they would leave him alone long enough for it now.

He juked and swerved his X-Wing, trying to get the leader to misread his direction. The shields warbled a warning as the cockpit rattled from another blast of laser fire. Seger wondered how much longer they would have before the Imperial reinforcements arrived, they were doing bad enough as it was.

As Seger continued to weave through asteroids a voice cut through the comms. "At your twelve Jack, K-turn" a moment later two green beams flashed, the shape of the Phantom consolidating as the shots slammed into one of the pursuing TIEs, the second volley made contact with another and the fighter dematerialized once more. Seger pumped his controls, his fighter flipping around as red fired from his wings. The dwindling TIE swarm disengaged and swept off to the sides as the X-wing soared past them. "Regroup with Ten, finish secondary and prep to land in the hangar." Two more green flashes followed one of the TIEs as it spiraled into an asteroid and collided. The swarm regrouped, flipping around towards the X-wings. As they flew another erupted in a cloud of debris, causing the other TIEs to break off and loop around, searching for the invisible attacker.

On the other side of the base, the swarm of TIE met with Lugo and Salya, the fighters spinning around each other as lasers twirled past where they had just been. The pair split, sweeping away from each other in a long arch. The Swarm followed left, twelve cannons pointed directly at Salya. The blast ricocheted off her rear deflectors.

"Don't you impish bastards shoot at my sister!" Lugo shouted, flipping his X-wing end over end and soaring directly towards the swarm. Blaster Cannons fired in sequence as the TIEs split, prepping to chase down the new target careening towards them. As they swerved, a cannon shot landed hard against the outer wing of one, blasting it off and sending the fighter into a spiral.

"Joker let's dance, Tango." Salya said with a smirk. The pair had invented several different maneuvers, each named for a different dance style. Their parents had been heavily invested in old dance styles, passing on that knowledge to the twins.

"Following your lead Queeny." Lugo laughed as his fighter spun into a talon roll, the internal sensors flashing red. As the swarm recollected itself it screeched towards the pair, the sibling's fighters spinning around each other in tight barrel rolls. Their cannons fired off in rapid succession, the gatling hail of laser fire crashed through a pair of TIEs as the rest of the group split off. The X-wings passed by their opponents, still locked in their twirl.

"One, two, three, four, Flip! Two, three, four" Salya counted them off as the pair K-turned hard.

The TIEs swept back around, the tell tale howl of their engines following close behind them. The dance of the twins continued, both fighters flying wing to wing.

"Three, Four, Up! Two, three four!" Salya continued her count, their fighters pointing their noses above the approaching TIEs. As the two ships sailed over their heads the pair made their way towards another orbital relay.

Salya launched a torpedo, it sailed out ahead of them.

"Pirouette! Two, three, four." The fighters talon rolled away from each other in opposite directions, turning back towards their opponents.

"Two left feet on these Imps!" Lugo laughed, firing another volley into the approaching fighter. The blasts sailed just past them and slammed into a nearby asteroid.

Lindmon continued his assault on the squadron as they scrambled around attempting to pin him down. His shuttle rematerialized directly in front of one, green flashes slamming into the fighter as the debris bounced off of his shields and his fighter flashed out of existence again. "Trust in the force." He said to himself. The sound of his helmet's vents whirring in his ear as it pushed the moisture out. The familiar tingle crept down his spine. "Ten on me, Jack continue secondary. I'm coming out of cloak to pull some fire off you." He said as his ship spun back around, reappearing and firing off another volley, finding its mark with another cloud of debris.

Lindmon received a confirmation click over the comms from Seger. He jerked his control stick hard to the right and cruised into an intercept vector with another orbital relay. Seger checked his nav computer, they had destroyed six of the targets so far, with only about ten minutes on the timer. The group of TIEs that had been chewing his tail had broken off, they screeched towards the main station to protect it and wait for assistance. It wasn't long before another pair of torpedos smashed into the seventh relay. The brilliant flash of the explosion left heavy debris careening in space, the metal components sparked and crackled as the remaining power surged out of them."Seger, I don't know where to go." Maila's voice was quiet and distant, her body focused entirely on the controls of the X-Wing. The cockpit computer screens inside were dark, and her control board showed only two or three systems functioning. Her jumpsuit clung to her sweaty skin, all heat controls and cooling mechanisms were shut down. The engines ran white hot and flowed their heat into the chassis of the X-Wing. Bright green laser bolts flashed past her star fighter, narrowly missing. It seemed like the remaining TIEs made it around the asteroid she used for cover, it only gave her a moments reprieve but it was enough. She was getting tired, the rattling of the internal components made her hands feel numb and the inertial dampeners were another component that had been shut down. It was used to artificially reduce the strain a pilot feels during more difficult maneuvers, with it off though she now felt the enormous forces from her fast turns and agile flips. Dosed by her adrenaline during the initial engagement she barely noticed the dampener's absence, but now she wished it was one of the systems that was left on. She had heard the Lieutenant's command to join him but Maila honestly had no idea where she was, or how to find his ship in this dog fight. A quick roll in front of a stray asteroid saved her from another hail of lasers, not as overwhelming as before, but still deadly. Seger's double click rang in her helmet, indicating she was going the wrong direction. "Oh, no that's okay Maila I'll help you, it's just forty five to your left and down a bit." Maila grumbled to herself quietly, mocking Seger's lack of communication. She pulled on her yoke and groaned as the tight bank pushed her uncomfortably into the leather of the pilot seat. The distance of the TIEs made it easy to dodge their incoming fire, and she boosted towards the correct path when the single click came across her comm.

Lindmon looked down at his displays, the radar ping of Maila's X-wing flashing green. Two red dots flashed behind her. "Coming at your six Ten. Breath, and get your systems back up." He said, his fighter coming back into view as several more volleys of green flew from his wings. The TIEs split off, roaring away from each other. "Left is all yours ten take it out." Lindmon swung his fighter hard right, chasing down the escaping TIE.

Across the asteroid field, Lugo and Salia continued their macabre duet of laser fire. The TIEs were having a difficult time pinning them down, the defensive failures of one fighter covered by the other. "Close S-foils Joke, first one to the next relay is Bantha pooodoo!" Salya laughed, adrenaline coursing through her. In tandem the wings of the pairs closed, their thrusters flaring to life as they shot foreword. The TIEs fell behind them, gaining slowely as they forced their fighters to pursue.

"The relay is all yours queeny, gonna show these imps a trick or two." Lugo laughed, his wings opening once more and his thrusters cutting out entirely. Foreword repulsors fired as he slowed himself down rapidly, the inertia of the maneuver slamming him into his seat restraints. The TIEs sailed past him, three breaking off to spin back around. Lugo reignited his thrusters just as they passed, falling in behind them. He barrel rolled left, firing red flares, catching one TIE by surprise as it burst into flames and fell apart.

Salia raced foreword, the relay coming into view. Another pair of torpedoes flared to life and crashed into it. Just as the torpedoes left her craft a series of lasers slammed into her rear shields, one getting through and crashing into her left wing. Her displays flashes red. "I'm hit! Wing two damaged, lost my torpedoes in that side, breaking off!" She shouted into the comms, spinning her fighter hard as she sailed around an asteroid.

Maila tracked the trail of the second TIE as it split from its demolished ally. She pulled the control lever back and the servos whined as the s-foils snapped open, increasing the spread rate of its blaster cannons. The targeting computer was still powered off, useless, and at this distance it would be hard to hit the TIE without it. The quad blaster cannons fired off several volleys of red hot laser fire, each bolt passing by the fighter without contact. With all power to the engines Maila's X-Wing was just able to keep up with the more agile Imperial TIE fighter, and without the speed to get closer her shot wasn't going to be any easier.

Of the four pronged cannons, only three were firing. The top right wing had a smoking hole blasted into it, severing the components that ran through the wing to the cockpit trigger. Maila ripped off her flight helmet, finally able to wipe the sweat pooling across her brow and clinging to her bangs. There wouldn't be time for her to react if she needed to go EVA, anyway. She needed to get this kill, since the mission started she hadn't done anything but run away. The Lieutenant left this one for her, the first kill of her career.

Now that she was thinking about it, it dawned on her that she had never killed anyone before. Once the Rebellion accepted her, the war was practically over and she spent the rest of her time trying to get in an X-Wing. She could feel the panic of the Imperial pilot as she chased it, unable to move fast enough to get closer. It juked and swerved desperately, stressed and confused at the speed of the pursuing star fighter. If only she had the targeting computer online it would help with her aim, but if she returned power to the systems she would lose speed and the TIE would scramble out of range. Maila pulled the trigger again, spurting our several more volleys of fire. A laser blast clipped the solar panel of the fleeing TIE and it spiraled into the rest of the volley. The craft was barraged by blaster cannon fire and erupted in a gout of fire momentarily before the cold of space reduced it to simmering smoke.

Maila sighed heavily and slumped back into her pilot's seat. She did it, got her first kill. It always seemed like there would be a strange ethereal feeling afterwards, people seemed to think it changed you after but Maila found she didn't feel much at all. There was a close similarity to practice targets and simulations, line up the shot and then 'pop' target destroyed. She felt more good than anything along with the relief of not being constantly pursued by other pilots that wanted to kill her.

"R4 reset power to all the control systems." Maila commanded to her astromech passenger. "I'd like to have shields at least...R4?" She looked back to where the astromech slot on the X-Wing was and instead found a scorched and tangled mass of wires. It must have taken a near direct hit. The astromech's dome had long since snapped off after dangling on by a thread helplessly for several of Maila's maneuvers. She hadn't noticed when it happened, it could have been right after it diverted power to the engines. In fact she didn't notice either of the times her star fighter got damaged, Maila was too focused on not dying.

Now she would have to manually reboot the X-Wing's systems internally, it wouldn't take more than a few minutes but during that time she'd be dead in space. Having systems rerouted or repaired was much easier with an astromech, doing it by hand in the cockpit made it impossible to do anything else. "My astro is out, I need to reboot manually." Maila said over the comm. She drifted her star fighter out of the way of the asteroids tumbling around the base and pulled the master control switch. The last of her remaining systems shut down, the darkness inside the cockpit illuminated only by the swirling orange and green nebula in the distance. Having burnt white hot for such a long period, the engine flares died down and allowed the X-Wing to drift helplessly. Finally her comms blinked off, removing her from radar and she vanished into the void of space.

Lindmon's own target tumbled and spun, the pilot desperately trying to outmaneuver the phantom hot on his tail. Green fire erupted from Lindmon's wings and into the rear of the TIE, blowing it to rubble. His fighter blinked out of existence as he twisted his way back towards the point where Maila's shuttle had winked off the radar.

The twins were having an increasingly difficult time with their own swarm. Salya had boosted her rear shields as high as she could, spinning her fighter to dodge the hail of green bolts. Lugo fired several volleys into the three TIEs that had split to chase him down. Two of the fighters twisted away as the red blasts flew past them, one jucked left, clipping its solar panel on a laser before twisting down and into a nearby asteroid, colliding with a quick burst of fire. "Queen make your way over to the others, if those imps follow you I can take these last two out and focus on relays." Lugo said into the comms. A moment later Salya's S-foils closed and she banked hard right, forcing her fighter to run as fast as she could to the other three. The TIEs followed, their fighters gaining slowely onSalya as she rocketed through the asteroid field, flipping over space rocks to block incoming fire.

The powered down X-Wing drifted slowly in space, the dark inside of the cockpit illuminated by the massive churning nebula in the distance. Maila pulled the power control nodule off the third primer port and pushed it into the next connector on her emergency restart checklist. Going through a systems restart took only a few seconds with an astromech, doing it manually however took a few minutes to go through the needed checklist and give reset signals to each system. The advanced processors of even the oldest droid could accomplish this in a snap, and it's that reason that Maila was kicking herself for allowing her droid to get blasted into oblivion. Even if she got out alive there was probably no way the droid could be salvaged. The next control node wasn't responding, damn. She flicked up on the trigger switch several times hoping it would jolt the system to life, still nothing. "Alright, if control auxiliary is unresponsive..." Maila mumbled as she scrolled through the datapad floating weightlessly inside the cockpit.

She noticed brilliant flashes bursting from some of the orbiting asteroids. Most likely Maila's wing mate Seger as he continued to torpedo the remaining relays. Anxiety started to creep into her mind as she realized just how little she had been able to contribute during the mission. One relay and a single TIE were all she had managed to destroy, and only with the help of her squad was she able to do that much. Maila's composure shattered once the TIEs attacked her like a swarm of blitz-bugs. All she could do was run, Maila was starting to think that was all she was good at. Just to survive she fell back on her risky play, gambling on what worked for her before, and now because of that she was useless. She wanted to contribute more but her lack of real combat experience was holding her back. If only the war lasted a bit longer she could have had at least a few combat missions under her belt by now.

She turned her attention back to the checklist and found the work around for control auxiliary. "Open the control board and remove 'J' one and four." Maila spoke aloud as she lifted the panel on her left. Her fingers slipped in through the bundle of wires and plucked each of the connector pins out. The control auxiliary light then illuminated at the top of the control board. Maila slapped the lid back into place and tried to hurry through the rest of the list, she could feel the time burning away as her allies still fought around the orbital base. If one of them died while she was wasting time here...

It was his fault, Lindmon thought to himself. They had tried to be careful but he pushed them into this. He had wanted to get the data sooner than later, he had wanted to get the recon done so they could make their assuault, but now two of his flight were damaged, one fairly severely. He had to fix this. There had to be a way.

 _You will fail them and in so doing fail yourself._

The voice of the hooded figure echoed in his head. No. He would fix this. "Jack, keep an eye on ten until she gets her bird flying again, Joker, Queen, converge on us, bring those fighters this way, we can tackle them together." He said, turning his fighter away from the floating hunk of Maila's X-wing. The repulsors on his phantom flared to life once more, rocketing forward towards Salya's location. Eight TIEs. A cake walk.

Salya slipped around the floating rocks, green blasts slamming into them as she ducked behind them to dodge the hail. The TIEs behind her screamed around the asteroids as they pursued the X-wing. "Almost there." Salya said to herself. As she passed another asteroid, the _King of Spades_ materialized in front of her, firing into the swarm on her tail. Two TIEs erupted from the sneak attack as the fighter vanished once more. The final six TIEs broke formation, sweeping away from the last location of the Phantom.

Lugo tumbled his fighter around an asteroid, chasing down the final TIE that had broken off to attack him. The TIE juked and swerved around the rocks, red lasers lancing past him into space. Lugo's S-foils closed, his X-wing pushing to pursue the quicker fighter.

Maila was near the end of the system reset when another X-Wing flew towards her's. It slowed and pitched into a roll, moving above the stalled X-Wing so that the cockpits faced each other. It was easy for her to recognize Seger at such a close distance, he was able to fly directly to her position without needing to search. He must have annotated Maila's signal before she powered off.

He waved to her and for a moment Maila thought it was quite friendly of him to do so. Just as she was raising her hand to return the gesture Seger began to point at his own emergency checklist, holding it up to display the datapad for Maila. _Yes I know. I'm doing it right now._ She gave a thumbs up and flashed an annoyed smile to her ally sitting in the cockpit above her. Did he think she was an idiot or something?

Maila was about to return to the last few steps just as she noticed more signaling from Seger. "What?" She snapped, it was surprising how he could still find other ways to annoy her when the comms were off. He was mouthing something and tapping on his head with one finger.

"Hel? Hel what?"

Her face flushed for a moment, he really must have thought she was an idiot. Maila grabbed her helmet off the floor of the cockpit and slid it back over her head quietly. She put the last few systems in check, skipping over the astromech portion. There was no amount of resetting that would give her a confirmation light for that system. Maila primed the throttle and the engines roared, the white pink ion efflux shimmered from the rear, she was back to life.

The friendly X-Wing rolled to the side, removing itself from the hanging position above Maila. Seger turned his craft sharply away, a single click over the comm system was all he gave to signal their allies.

"It'll take more than that to keep me down! You all still alive out there?" Maila shouted into her newly restored communications, her voice was mixed with exuberance and a bit of fear. She shifted her control stick and pushed the throttle forward, the X-Wing lurched headlong towards the orbital base, taking position next to her wing mate.

"Nice to have you back Ten! We got some unfriendliness swarming around Queeny and looks like King's helping out there, feel free to get some shooting in!" Lugo laughed, still chasing the last TIE left to him.

"Belay that, Ten, Jack I want you on those last orbitals. We need those out ASAP, doesn't seem like many are left so make it quick." Lindmon said over the headset. He sighed, relieved that she had been able to get herself back up and running. He pulled in behind a pair of TIEs that had broken from the six remaining, his shuttle shimmering as it came out of stealth. The pair of TIEs split from each other as soon as he appeared, screeching away from one another. "I think they figured out my tricks." He said as he pushed to pursue one of them.

Seger and Maila flew towards the remaining orbitals. The last asteroid relays were the furthest from their current position, if the twins hadn't run into so much trouble they would have been closer. "So, what's the plan after the orbitals?" Maila asked the Lieutenant. "Should we bomb the comm station and cut out of here?"

"We're not out of here yet Ten, the primary target is the bases main radar dish, which as of now has a shield. We will need to land in the base, take out the shield generator so it can be destroyed and we still need to download whatever data is down there. Once the orbitals are out and the TIEs dealt with, you and Jack will be joining me in landing and assaulting the main base. Queen and Joker will maintain patrol here to give us forewarning if more ships jump into system and to destroy the radar when that shield comes down." Lindmon said, spinning his TIE around and firing another set of volleys into the fighter he was chasing.

Lugo finally landed his shots on his own target, looping around to come back to his sister's side. Salya had flipped her fighter back over and was beginning to chase down the TIEs that Lindmon had scattered. Her S-foils extended once more to aid in her assault.

Maila had taken point on destroying the remaining relays, with Seger having run out of proton torpedoes. The last two erupted in quick succession once the pair got to that side of the asteroid field, hot flashes of destruction shining out in space. "Assault?" Maila said incredulously "What if they have like...guns and stuff?" She was confident in her flying ability, especially after this mission seemed to be back on the upswing. Once on the ground though, she wasn't confident she could hit the broadside of a gundark. _Wait. Did I bring my blaster?_ She patted down her flight suit quickly, searching for the aforementioned pistol. With a disparaging sigh, Maila found the small blaster stashed underneath her seat.

"I'm certain they will. But we have guns too, and I'm not anticipating that the base is all that defensible. That's what they had the Star Destroyer for. It's highly likely that the twenty four fighters was the majority of their defense, meant to hold off an assault long enough for the _Havoc_ to get here. The inside probably has a couple squads worth of stom troopers. Nothing we can't handle." Lindmon said calmly. He knew how the Empire worked, at least for the most part. The last of the TIEs were proving easy to clean up, each one crashing or exploding as laser fire slammed into their sides. With the majority of the dog fight complete they turned their attention on the hangar.


	13. Hard choices

The group of TIEs swarming around the entrance of the hangar at the bottom of the base were picked of easily one by one, Maila and Seger flew at range as the _King_ _of_ _Spades_ moved slowely into the hangar, still stealthed. The inside of the hangar was bare, every TIE that had waited within now blown to pieces in the void of space. "Looks like they are preparing for our arrival, nobody in the hangar, clear to land. Stay frosty, I expect they are waiting for us."

Commodore Jeabre Baroelsm watched the scene above his assigned Imperial relay station in a state of shock. The crackling image they were able to display through the jamming signal seemed to only show four X-Wing class fighters. The blue display cut in and out often, so it was difficult to really make a count of how many craft we're actually attacking. He slammed his fist on the console enraged, their TIE pilots were modest at best. Sent to this station because of their lack of experience or for being difficult to work with. In the state the Imperial Navy was pushed to, they didn't have the option of turning away unscrupulous soldiers. Even so, they should have been able to destroy them with overwhelming force regardless.

"Ensign!" Commodore Baroelsm roared to the computer stations. "Why haven't we got a signal to the _Havoc_ yet!?"

The man at the communications computer flinched from his officers reprimand. He shakily typed several commands and continued to try and solve the issue. "S-Sir! We're still being jammed! I-I cant find the source, I've never had to descramble a holo communication signal before." He admitted with a nervous gulp.

"Move away from your station Ensign." Commodore Baroelsm hissed through his teeth. "Let someone who knows what they're doing take over. You're dismissed."

"Sir! They're landing inside the hangar!" A different officer cried out to the room.

Commodore Baroelsm recoiled from the report. "What!?" He was confused by their approach. Once they began destroying the relay stations he assumed it was just a star fighter ambush. A simple assault to blackout the Imperial communications in the sector. What could they want by pushing inside the station when they could so easily destroy it from a distance. The stations shields were formidable and could withstand several dozen volleys of fire with indifference, but coming in on foot was riskier.

A raid. That was the only other reason he could think of, they wanted to steal the communications data that was stored in the station. "Send a squad of troops to intercept the Rebels and pull back the rest to this room!" Commodore Baroelsm shouted. "Lock down this office and start purging our records! We can't let them get what they came for!" He couldn't fathom how they were able to locate their position, this station had been relatively quiet for years, even before Baroelsm was assigned there. He watched as several officers rushed over to the main records station, a huge tower of advanced computing hardware capable of storing dozens of decades of information. It could take a long time to erase what was on there, if worse came to worst he could destroy it. A last resort if the troops weren't able to route the invaders, it would render the comm station functionally useless if it came to that. But still, these traitors deserved nothing. Even if his life would end today, and the lives of his men, he would ensure no benefit would come to the Rebels. From the darkness of the galaxy, even from the brink of destruction, the Empire would rise again.

The cockpit of the _King_ _of_ _Spades_ opened slowely, the cloaking matrix still active. Lindmon pulled himself from the seat and jumped down to the ground. "Clear to land. Jack, pull your R4 out, we're gonna need your droid." He pulled his lightsaber from it's position on his hip and unslung his rifle. The tell tale tingle creeped down his neck. "We're going to have company soon. They must know we're here." The adrenaline pounded through his head.

Seger gave a quick click over the comms as an affirmative. He watched as his wing mate curved smoothly into a landing cycle, setting down in the large hanger. Once her cockpit pitched open she rolled out the small collapsible ladder from inside. The racks that would normally hold TIE fighters suspended from the ceiling were empty. Seger counted twelve in total, there must be a separate hanger for the rest at another section of the base. Gently hovering his own star fighter inside, he was cautious of any troops waiting in ambush, ready to blast them should they mistakenly show their position.

From the corner of his eye he saw Maila stop suddenly, her face looked startled and he whipped around looking for any sign of danger. She ran back to her cockpit and quickly climbed up the ladder, then back down again, tightening the brown leather holster across her waist.

He frowned slightly, Seger couldn't believe that his wing mate was someone so regularly unprepared. It wasn't his problem, he didn't make a point of going out of his way to make up for the faults of others if he didn't have to. She was on her path, and he was on his.

He engaged the landing struts and settled gently down inside the bay. "R4 you're coming with us." Seger said to his little droid passenger. It chirped and warbled from behind the cockpit as the screen lifted up. He had to glance at the droid interface screen to translate, he never got around to learning the binary code language enough to understand their nonsense whistles.

QUERY: WE HAVE JUST EMBARKED INSIDE THE ENEMY BASE, WILL THERE BE DANGER?

Seger rolled his eyes, "No, no danger. Now get out." Seger yanked the undercarriage release lever which allowed the astromech to fall out the bottom port of the X-Wing.

He removed his helmet and gathered a blaster pistol and a small satchel with emergency medical supplies. Any Imperial base would come with Stormtroopers, in the event someone got shot, he would be prepared.

Seger leapt down from the cockpit and landed on the deep gray metal that made up the surface of the hangar bay. He unholstered the blaster pistol from his hip and scanned around the room. Positioned behind a large portion of his star-fighter for cover. There were no troops to greet them, the Lieutenant did say that the Imperials knew about their arrival. They must be waiting to strike from a better position.

Seger waved for R4-D3 to move forward, or...was it R4-E5? He couldn't remember. He didn't think it mattered, they were just large computers on wheels anyway. The red astro rolled out from behind the X-Wing, it's domed head swiveled slowly as it scanned for danger. Normally the R4 line of astromechs came with conical shaped heads, an attempt for the manufacturers to mass produce a less effective model with more space between its components. The Rebellion would buy R4 astromechs in bulk for cheap and replace the computing dome section with ones from R2 astromechs. This practice allowed them to cut costs by not having to purchase the wildly more expensive R2 body, but still make the droid effective for star fighter use.

The lightsaber in Lindmon's hand flared to life with a snap-hiss, the white glow of the blade illuminated a small portion of the floor. He took a deep breath before focusing on the hilt. With the blade locked on the saber floated out of his hand and took a position over his right shoulder. Weeks of practice had lead up to this strategy. Sitting cross legged on the floor of his room while training droids wizzed around him. His blade floating and spinning as the traning droids zapped harmlessly at him, skirting around as the lightsaber blocked the shots. He had gotten up to three droids in the past couple of weeks. The saber held its position while he checked the display on his E-11. "We're ready to move foreword. If they know we're here they will have started a data purge, the information we want will have been from several years ago so it should be towards the bottom." He motioned forward as the small group took positions near the exit door to the hangar. "Jack, get your R4 in a port, I want a map of this place as soon as possible."

A brief nod from Seger followed by a quick command to the droid sent the small robot rolling foreword to a nearby connection module.

 _I wish Ahsoka was here_. Lindmon thought to himself, shaking his head as he pushed the wishes from his mind to focus on the task at hand. "I want the two of you behind me at all times, I should be able to protect us."

"Yeah sure." Maila said sourly, the reminder of Lindmons magic powers turning her mood. "I bet you can do anything."

She grabbed the blaster out of it's holster and holds it in an awkward ready position. Maila moved close to Lindmon even though she glared at his back in distaste.

Commodore Baroelsm and the rest of the control center freeze for several moments. The silence only interrupted by random status blips and beeps from the consoles. Their focus enraptured by the footage of the bases security system. "Are we still attempting to send a distress signal to the _Havoc_?" He says, breaking the stunned quiet.

"...Yes Sir!" One of the officers responds, still watching the camera screen depicting the invaders.

"Belay the distress signal." Commodore Baroelsm orders with a sinister smirk. "Send them our security recordings instead. The Grand Admiral will want to see this."

"Far from anything Ten get rid of the attitude we have plenty more to worry about. Jack get us a heading for the shield generator." Lindmon moved foreword to the hallway, peeking down the empty corridor. They must be holding back. Protecting the main points of interest. Lindmon thought to himself.The R4 droid chirped several times, a map appearing on Lindmon's wrist control. A yellow line started from their position and cut deeper into the base. "Alright let's move." Lindmon said curtly, stepping into the hallway and starting down deeper into the base.

"A little attitude never hurt anyone. You should try it sometime..." Maila mumbled as she rushed after Lindmon.

"They're heading towards the shield generator sir!" Said an officer. The multitude of security systems tracking the positions of Lindmons group as they moved through the base.

Commodore Baroelsm thought carefully about their actions as he watched the security feed. They attacked the base to raid it for information but still want to disable the communications system in the process. Each objective could be accomplished separately, yet together was a significantly riskier task to undertake.

"Are our troops positioned to cut them off?" He asked the security detail officer. The officer simply nodded in affirmation.

There was some important reason they were pursuing both objectives at the same time. Commodore Baroelsm was intent on sabotaging whatever it was they were working so hard towards.

The small group approached a turn in the long hall. Just before Lindmon stepped out into it his senses screamed at him. He pulled himself quickly back and threw his arm in front of the other two, just as a hail of blaster fire slammed into the back wall. "That's way more than three training droids worth..." Lindmon said quietly to himself. His lightsaber returned to his hand quickly and he plucked a small orb out of a pocket on his belt. "Get ready to round the corner on my mark." He presses the button on top of the orb and it beeped, blinking red. He floated it up out of his hand and flicked his wrist, sending the detonator hurtling down the hall. A shout and a scramble of noise preceded the large explosion from the device. Lindmon's saber returned to its hovering position. "Let's show these folks what we can do." He said, rounding the corner.

At the other end of the hall, a small squadron of stormtroopers was clambering back together, several lay on the floor near a large blackened section where the explosive had erupted. One of the troopers shouted and pointed as the others raised their rifles and opened fire. The tingle had filled Lindmon's body at that point, similar to his encounter in the temple. This was the first time since that it had been this intense. His lightsaber spun and whirled in front of him as he advanced, blaster fire bouncing off the blade as he moved. His rifle fell into place at his shoulder as he fired through the gaps he left for himself.

The dazed troopers clambered off the ground, they recovered quickly and fired multiple hot red blaster bolts at the incoming invaders. "Jedi!" Shouted the squad leader of the troopers. The white shimmering blade cut through the dissipating smoke, deflecting and slicing away their shots. They had only light training when it came to a Jedi encounter, beyond a standard briefing about their skills they had no purposeful experience. Shooting and blasting at the dancing blade made it recoil slightly as it floated in the air, the impacts pushed it backwards and sideways in response. Two trooper helmets were pierced by the invaders blaster shots, each head shot drilling through the lens and smoldering the flesh inside. They slumped against the floor dead. One trooper from the rear primed a thermal detonator, and held it in his palm after activation to reduce the time of explosion after it was thrown. He remembered bits of the Jedi weaknesses, explosives and gas mainly. If he could stop the Jedi here, maybe the rest of his squad could survive. The detonator chirped quickly and he threw it hard in the direction of the Jedi, it's timer would detonate the grenade before it struck the ground.

As the orb sailed through the air Lindmon threw his hand up, his focus flickering for a moment as the lightsaber wobbled in the air. The bomb halted its motion and returned towards the sender, exploding a moment later over their heads. A laser round passed by his saber and clipped his right shoulder, twisting him sideways. The blade resumed its dance as he pulled himself back to the fray, his shoulder aching. The padding of his flight suit took the brunt of the blast but the skin on his shoulder sizzled from where the blast had passed. "Move forward" he said with a grunt, slinging his blaster and returning the blade to his hand, continuing his defensive flourish as he ran towards the stormtroopers, still pulling themselves together from the second explosive.

Seger hid calmly behind the corner wall as Lindmon's defensive flurry advanced forward. He fired round after round into the troops and each red bolt slapped them in the chest and left burnt smoking craters in the armor.

Right behind Lindmon, ducking nervously behind his body was Maila. Her grip on the blaster pistol was cumbersome, unexperienced, and her shots flew wildly off target. The few that managed to hit were grazing and less than mortal.

Lindmon rushed forward, Seger's barrage sailing past his shoulders and into the cluster of troopers. The soldiers left scrambled to their feet and aimed down their rifles, only to find the white blade of the lightsaber whirling past them. Lindmon twisted and spun, his saber cutting through armor and flesh as he worked his way through the last of the soldiers. The few remaining trooper turned to retreat, only for blaster fire to slam into their backs from Seger's well aimed assault. With one final lunge, Lindmon's lightsaber slid through the back of the last soldier, who gurgled as the last of his breath left his body and he crumpled to the floor. Lindmon motioned over his shoulder for the group to continue, looking over his shoulder briefly at Maila. "Breath Ten, shooting a pistol is just like firing your X-Wing, trust your instincts, point, and shoot." He said

The white saber hissed and crackled as Maila watched, wide eyed, the horribly graphic image just less than a meter from her face. It groaned as the trooper sucked a few terrified breaths, the lungs inside pierced and swimming with blood. The black grimace of Lindmon's TIE pilot helmet strobed in the illumination of his saber impaled on its prey, the black lenses twisted his visage with stark brightness and harsh shadows. Maila thought he looked like a nightmare specter of death. She wasn't able to comprehend the degree of power these so called Jedi wielded. Lindmon's weapon was able to slap away blaster bolts with little effort. How was he able to even intercept them? Maila had no way of knowing how he could move the saber in time. It was like a vibroblade made of pure energy, only intensely more powerful. Capable of thrusting through Stormtrooper's armor with no effort. "Uh...yeah. Okay..." Maila responded numbly. She gathered herself as much as she could, but still glanced at Lindmon cautiously out of the corner of her eye. Now that the troops had been dispatched, Seger stepped out of his cover from behind the wall. As he walked over to join Lindmon and Maila, he stepped over the body of one of the troopers. He pulled the trigger as he moved and the blaster shot out a fatal bolt. It sunk into the neck of the trooper laying on the ground beneath him, the trooper's injured squirms and groans abruptly ended in the same instant as his life. Segers face remained impassive through the whole encounter but now that everything was settling Lindmon could sense a degree of pride emanating from Seger. His display of Jedi powers and flourishes of combat expertise gave Seger a great deal of confidence in his comrade, trusting implicitly in his leader's instincts and commands. He nodded towards Lindmon, affirming that the combatants had all been dispatched.

The crew turned the corner into a large open room. The dark grey metal walls arched high over their heads and the large generator of the shield relay sat in the center of the room, blue electricity streaming forth from it's peak and into the ceiling where it was collected and condensed. Lindmon ran to the other end of the room, pointing at the relay. "Jack, get that down, radio Joker when you're almost done so he can get in position. Ten with me, were going to keep an eye on the entry hall to make sure we aren't disturbed."

Seger nodded and ran to the display monitor at the base of the generator, pulling up the menus and getting to work. Maila and Lindmon stood against the far wall on opposing sides of the door. Maila glanced nervously at Lindmon as he peaked into the hall. Several tense minutes passed as Seger tapped away at the console. Finally he came over the comms. "Joker, Jack, shield is coming down in 3, 2, go." The beam fizzled out and the room went quiet.

A moment later the base shuddered as the loud explosion from above shook the structure, the sound of crumpling, screaming metal emanated from above.

"Primary target is down, repeat primary target is down. King, word from the _Diver_. They are engaged with the _Havoc_ and want us out ASAP. They're taking heavy fire." Lugo's voice came through the comms.

"Copy that, we're proceeding to data retrieval." Lindmon responded, motioning for Seger to join them as they prepared to move forward.

The Imperial control room shuddered for several moments as the relay dish shattered from the X-Wing's assault. It's pieces splintered as it exploded, huge chunks of the metal dish drifted away into space from the force of the explosion.

"Did we get the the recording out in time?" Commodore Baroelsm whispered to his officers.

"I-I think so sir..." A control officer replied. "We cut through the jamming signal the moment the dish was destroyed."

"Data purge is at fifty percent sir!" Another officer called out from the computer terminal. "They won't be able to get any relevant information from us at this point."

Commodore Baroelsm leaned back, satisfied that at least the last few years of Imperial records were out of the reach of these raiders.

The group moved quickly down the hallways of the base, the eery silence surrounding them. As they rounded a final corner the yellow line on Lindmon's map blinked several times. The Comm center lay just on the other side of the large silver doors, sealed tight in front of them.

"Ok...this is where things get iffy." He said quietly. Think Lindmon. Think. There were no consoles on this side of the door, likely a security measure to keep out would be intruders during a lockdown. _No, feel, don't think_. He though to himself. He abruptly sat on the floor, legs crossed. "Get ready you two, this isn't going to be easy." He said, his lightsaber floating in front of him. He streatched out with his feelings, weaving into the other room. Nervous energy perveyed the space. Tension, anxiety, fear. He closed his eyes, willing the feelings to coalesce.

"Six to the left, four to the right, seven further back in the middle." He remained focused as best he could. The lightsaber hovered up to the top of the door, sliding slowely into the metal. Molten slag parted from the blade as it passed through to the hilt. It slowely descended, the effort causing Lindmon to shake.

The blade continued it's slow crawl down the door, sweat beading on Lindmon's forehead. Seger and Maila watched as his whole body seemed to shake from the strain. Maila was aghast, from the moment they landed his display of power had shaken her, if he turned against them what could he do, what could they do? Seger stood steadfast, blaster at the ready. Finally the saber finished its path, the door separated down the middle.

"Get ready." Lindmon said simply, the blade pulling from the door and spinning in front of him. He reached out his arms and grasped at the doors. Willing them apart. _Weight is an illusion your mind puts in place to tell you you can't_. Ahsoka's words echoed in his mind. The doors groaned as he pushed them open, slowely separating. As the doors opened halfway a hail of blaster fire flew through the opening. Several bolts bounced off the lightsaber while others slammed against the side of the wall. Seger and Maila opened fire, Seger fired into the small cluster of troopers on the left, his well aimed shots finding home one after the other. Maila fires at the four to the right, her shots sailing past them and into the back wall. Lindmon finished opening the door, the strain pounding in his head. Just as he moved to stand a thermal detonator sailed past his head towards Maila, the bomb blinked several times and the look in Maila's eyes screamed terror. In one fluid moment, Lindmon hurled his arms foreword, sending the detonator and the troopers at the door spiraling backwards from the force he slammed into them. The detonator flew back into the room, erupting a moment later. Lindmon stood, trembling, his blade whizzed past him, slamming hilt deep into the chest of one of the troopers before whizzing back to his hand. He held it up as the troopers clambered back to their feet. The eyes on him from the officers in the room were a mix of fear and awe. Time seemed to slip past Lindmon, his mind reeling.

 _You will fail them._

 _Your comrades will fall one by one._

 _Trust your feelings._

As the blaster barrage resumed, the lasers whipping towards him seemed to slow, as if shot through molasses. One by one he studied their course, twirling his saber in hand into each shot. The lasers ricocheted off his blade and back at the trooper who fired it. In a moment all went calm. Each trooper a smoldering, groaning mass on the floor. The adrenaline coarsed through him. Voices ringing in his mind.

 _I will not let that happen._

He thought briefly to himself, standing in the doorway, surrounded by death.

Commodore Baroelsm gazed at the fallen defense force around him, smoldering holes penetrated their armor, leaving them dead or incapacitated. The Jedi had overwhelmed the troops in an instant. A tense moment fell across the room as the intruders strode in. From the security footage he knew that one of the intruders had acquisitioned a TIE pilot's uniform, but seeing him in person raised a sharp fury. In the heat of the moment Commodore Baroelsm had grabbed his blaster in self defense, prepared to fire upon the Rebels, in doing so the rest of the officers in the control room had stood from their seats, drawing their own small arms blaster pistols.

He slowly put both his arms in the air, letting the blaster pistol drop out of grip and hang on a single finger. Commodore Baroelsm looked back to his men who were prepared to make their final stand. "Lay down your weapons men." He commanded sharply. If the recording had sent and the Imperial data records had already been wiped to this extent there was no reason for his officers to be slain. "A Jedi's morals keep them from striking down the defenseless, even if they are their enemy. They are too weak to do what needs to be done in the trials of war."

The officers slowly dropped their weapons and watched in anticipation to see if the Commodore's words held true.

Lindmon strode forward, adrenaline still coursing through his veins. His vision blurred with each step but he held his balance as best he could. "Back away from the consoles and drop your weapons." He said calmly, raising his lightsaber. "Jack, get your R4 plugged in, cancel the purge, and find me the data we discussed." Seger nodded, moving past him and up to a nearby console as the officers stepped away. The R4 droid rolled past them and into the room, finding a plug module near Seger. "Ten, radio command. We have seven imperial officers. I need to know what they want to do with them." Lindmon took another step into the room. The commodore smiled slyly.

"Everything you could want is gone. We started the purge the moment you landed. You Rebel scum will get nothing of use from the remaining information." He chuckled to himself smugly. The Rebellion was always the same, and the Jedi just like them. Weak.

After a few moments Maila called out to Lindmon after contacting the _Blue Diver_ for orders. "King. They are facing heavy resistance right now, there isn't any time to handle prisoners to extract more information." She said, "we have to get out as soon as possible, the _Havoc_ has already gone into hyperspace suddenly!"

King, Jack, Ten. Callsigns no doubt. This only further implicated the Rebel's defection from the Empire, and a once highly trusted officer at that. Fifty two was an ancient card game, sophisticated and refined by its strict rules unlike the degenerate Sabacc. Commodore Baroelsm deftly waved to the officers at the computer console to move away and allow them to take their meager reward, he had planned on destroying the records system if they had gotten this far. At this point it wasn't worth it, he couldn't possibly understand what they could do with such old information, there was nothing relevant from after the discovery of the despised Skywalker and the growth of the fledgling Rebel Alliance. Being able to inform his superiors in person about this defector and the few telling details about him was more valuable than laying down the lives of his men to protect such old information.

Lindmon stood for a moment. Seger turned his head and nodded at him. They got what they came for. Time was running out and they had to leave. The decision was his.

"We can't afford survivors..." he said with a finality

"What!?" Maila screamed at Lindmon as he gave the command. "You can't be serious! They surrendered! Don't do this!" She pleaded incredulously, unable to believe that they were about to slay an entire room of Imperial officers.The Commodore looked nervously about the room and made eye contact with each of his officers, a regretful flicker of emotion passing across his face. Seger stepped forward, his blaster tight in his hand. He had already experienced the harsh truth of Rebellion, lives need to be taken to ensure the success of the mission. It was nothing personal, and if his wing mate lived long enough, she would come to realize that.

Commodore Baroelsm closed his eyes as Seger raised his blaster in front of Baroelsm's face. "Gentlemen, it's been an honor." He said grimly, accepting their impending fate. There was nothing they could do against the powers of the Jedi. The slain squads of troops was a testament to that. "For the Empire..."

"Fire..." Lindmon said quietly, raising his blaster and shooting into the group, Seger did the same, each of their blasts landing true. As the last officer fell to the floor a dark silence filled the room. "We can talk about this back at base. Let's go." He said calmly, his fist clenched around the hilt of his blade as he placed it back on it's holder. "Hustle, we need to be out of here yesterday. Queen, Joker, we got what we needed and some mean company is on it's way, prep all torpedoes, as soon as you have our all clear get those wherever they will do the most damage. R3, prep ladder, we're coming in hard." He turned and dashed out of the room, followed close behind by Seger and Maila.

The group trudged back through the halls in silence. As they passed by the group of dead troopers on the floor near the hangar Lindmon slowed, looking down into the open, cauterized wounds his saber had left. He could almost see the face of each soldier he passed. As he neared the final one the helmet changed to a dark, sneering skull, half shaded in darkness. A gasp caught in his throat and his step wavered, the fatigue catching up to him all at once. He stumbled into the wall next to him, a wave of nausea passing over.

 _Not yet. We have to get out._

They approached their fighters, clambering inside and donning the rest of their flight gear. The arms of the droid slot pulled the R4 unit up into Seger's X-wing and the group pushed out of the hangar.

"We're away. Take the shot." He said, his body heavy. "Reed, get us home buddy."

Several torpedoes slammed into the hangar bay, the explosions rippling through the structure of the base, with each blast, a subsequent explosion rung through the structure, within minutes large portions floated on the shockwaves into the void. Just as the crew readied to make the jump, the blue lines of hyperspace pulling into view, the large silhouette of the _Havoc_ entered the system. They were only there long enough to catch a glimpse as the fighters lept into hyperspace. The blue stars waved and moved around Lindmon as his head spun and darkness enveloped his vision. The last thing he saw before passing out were the red glowing eyes piercing through the darkness of two empty sockets.


	14. Home again

The crew fell out of hyperspace and raced back planetside. The crashing blue waves beneath them passed quickly as their fighters sailed overhead.

"Spire command this is Joker of Spades, prep for immediate landing." Lugo said into the comms, still riding high on the adrenaline from the recent mission. Maila had been unusually silent since they left, the Lieutenant too for that matter. The mission had been a success, so far as he was aware, so they should be excited shouldn't they?

"Spades, this is Spire command, clear for landing, welcome home."

The crew flew to the top entry ports of the spire and made their descents, coasting down the deep pipes and into the main hangar bay. As the deck operator rushed technicians left and right, prepping the stations for their specific fighters, the X-wings set down in their places. The gleaming black solar panels of the Lieutenant's fighter set itself down clean inside its curtained off section, where the large cloth covers were quickly pulled back into place. Lugo climbed out of his fighter, pulling his helmet off his head and whipping his sweaty hair back and forth. "Well that was damned fun wasn't it!" He said enthusiastically. Salya stepped down the ladder from her own fighter and frowned.

"I don't know, something feels off." She said. A moment later there was a flurry of motion near the Phantom. The curtains parted as a gurney was hovered out, Lindmon's unconcious body resting atop it. The R3 droid he kept with him whizzed and chirped as it followed behind and several technicians guided the gurney past the now fully disembarked crew and down a side hallway.

Maila watched the gurney that held Lindmon as it was pushed away by the technicians. It was a shock that he lost consciousness as they fled, the controls must have been taken over by the droid for the escape. She stood out of her seat and dropped her white and orange flight helmet down in the cockpit before she threw her legs over the edge and disembarked. The crew quarters were her destination, she didn't let any of the questioning technicians or deck officers stop her. Maila just wanted to get away from whatever happened on that mission.

Remaining dutifully in the hangar was the ever calm and collected Jack of Spades. He gave a quick damage report to the maintainers and spent a considerable amount of time giving an extensive report on mission parameters, combat maneuvers, as well as target positions and strike times. The debriefing was only extended by Maila's absence and he had to take on the burden of her reports as well.

Several hours passed with no emergence of Lindmon from medical. Salya had watched the distressed look on Maila's face as she passed and it bugged her through the course of the debriefing. Seger had done well enough that their own debriefings were fairly short. After they had all returned to their quarters Lugo had collapsed in his rack and passed out almost immediately. He usually slept hard after a mission. She looked around the room before standing up out of her own rack and exiting into the hall. She walked slowely towards the doorway of Maila's quarters and knocked on it.

"Hey, you ok?" She asked, concerned.

The door slid open quickly revealing Maila just on the other side. The two pilots were face to face and Salya could see the distressed grimace on her comrade's face. Her eyes were absent of tears and redness but they seemed heavy with exhaustion and stress. Maila had already discarded her flak vest and life support apparatus, her unzipped orange fatigues hung at the waist and she wore a grease stained sleeveless white shirt in it's place.

Maila gazed up at Salya briefly before responding, "I'm fine." She said curtly.

She turned her body to slip past Salya in the doorway and walked down the carved rock hallway towards the base mess hall. Hunger was the driving force now, if she couldn't get some peace in the room she might as well eat in the meantime.

Salya watched as she passed, turning and following her. "Don't give me that nonesense, you've been completely different since we landed. Something happened, talk to me." She followed close on the heels of her flight mate.

Maila stopped as she reached the hall leading to the lift. The Spire was a small enclave for the secret hangar and the pilot's quarters, but for everyday operations, meals and other stations not pertaining to the Spire a transport tunnel was needed to move between the main base and Spire.

"He killed them all." Maila said quietly. "I know that our missions are supposed to be secret but... they surrendered."

She clenched her fists in frustration and turned full around to Salya. "Aren't we supposed to be the good guys?" She asked desperately.

Salya looked at her for a moment "We are the good guys but...war is war." She sighed. "If we were any other operational unit it wouldn't have been necessary but you heard the Lieutenant before. Even the Admirals don't know he's a Jedi, if the Empire found that out we would be in huge trouble." Salya pressed the lift call button to the right of the tunnel. Further down a quiet rumble could be heard as the lift made its way towards them.

Maila quietly waited next to Salya, not continuing the conversation until the lift arrived. The recently installed fixture, the lift slid across ground loudly as it sailed through the carved tunnel inside Palatine base. A small panel next to the door buzzed and the durasteel doors whipped open with a hiss. They both step aside as the occupants of the lift exited, technicians and a few officers that had clearance to work in the Spire funneled out. Also coming off the lift from the main section of the base was their squad mate, Seger, still fully equipped with the orange flight suit. It was getting late in the day and he had already finished his reports hours ago. He glanced briefly at both of the women before he exited the lift without a word. Unfazed by Seger's usual coldness, Maila moved into the lift, not attempting to start conversation with her squad mate as they passed each other. Salya walked in just behind and slapped the activation console. The doors slid shut behind them and the lift jolted towards the main Palatine base. Lights affixed to the tunnel walls illuminated the interior every few dozen meters. The brightness fell across the pair faster and faster as the lift increases speed."It's not just the mission parameters, I understand that part I guess." Maila continued. "It was the way he killed them..." Screams of the troops howled in her ears as Lindmon's lightsaber sundered their bodies. His overwhelming power dominated them in combat, a reaper sent to cull them from this world. At the end he emerged with hardly a scratch, bodies strewn in pieces at Lindmons feet. The worst part for her was she didn't even know if he felt anything as he killed them all. Was it just business as usual, or did he even try to think of an alternative before jumping at the chance to surround himself with death? She brought a hand up to her mouth to stifle a reflexive sob. The powerful horror that pierced through the soldier just a few feet away lanced into her mind. She couldn't shake the image and how shockingly sudden the lightsaber could bring death, even to those prepared for it. It was a weapon of unrivaled power."It was like a slaughter." She said finally.

Salya stood next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I...I can't even begin to imagine what it was like, or how the Lieutenant thinks, but he doesn't have the same air as, let's say, Seger. I mean that guy could stare down a whole cave of Wompa's and not flinch." She chuckled slightly. "I mean honestly if anybody on the team doesn't have feelings it's that guy."

She stepped back and leaned against the metal wall of the lift. "It didn't look like the LT was unscathed though, they had to pull him out of his fighter."

"I saw that." Maila responded with confusion. "I'm sure he was fine when we left. Do you know what happened?"

Salya shook her head. "I haven't the slightest clue. None of the techs have been saying anything, and we weren't permitted to go to the med bay." She shrugged, the passing lights over head turned their movements into strange staccato motions with the rapid shadows passing by. "I wasn't there, so I can't really say what it could or couldn't be." She turned and watched as the passing grey-blue slate walls of the cavern whizzed past. The base was further than she thought from the main section.

The lift ride was silent for a long while. Finally the lights passing over head slowed. The quiet grinding of the lift grew as the breaks engaged. The lift reached the entry bay of the main base, as the door of the lift hissed open and the pair stepped off, Salya reached out and grabbed Maila by the shoulder.

"Listen, if you need to talk, you can talk to me." She said quietly.

Maila smiled appreciatively at the warm camaraderie. She hadn't been in Indigo squadron long enough to have known Salya very well, but she seemed nice. Maila hoped that she could take this opportunity with Spade's Gambit to get closer to Salya in the coming months.

"Thank you," Maila said. "I'm just tired I guess. Let's go eat, yeah?"

The main of Palatine base bustled with flight coordinators, mechanics of many different species, and the aforementioned Indigo squadron. Six X-Wing sized spaces were still left empty, as if those transferred to the Spire were still out on patrol. Their replacements yet to be assigned. The remaining six snubfighters were going through the final shutdown procedures for the day, leaving a skeleton crew of pilots for emergencies. Night patrols were discovered to be exceedingly dangerous when the base was being established, the wildlife made flying during darkness risky.

Even with spotlights active on the fighters it was difficult to spot the aggressive creatures. Night storms were common, almost every night was a thick downpour of rain. The Caravors made use of this and swarmed in similar fashion. It was difficult to tell at a distance if the dark clouds were just the nightly rain storm coming in, or a swarm of fangs determined to tear the flesh of everything in their path. Nights seemed long and claustrophobic on Palatine because of this. The base would undergo full lockdown procedures when a migration of Caravors was identified and tracked to pass over the base. Roiling storms throughout the nights sounded like an apocalyptic tempest even with hangar bay doors locked tight. If they listened closely, the men said they could hear ceaseless chittering underneath the thunder and rain.

It was important for Indigo squadron to brave the elements frequently because of this. Their main operational goals were to track and plot the migration patterns of these deadly creatures as well as the other inhabitants. They used this opportunity to undergo some needed flight training, and on occasion the entire squadron would be scrambled for a mock base defense. The brief absence of Indigos five through ten had yet to effect their operational capabilities, but with the sudden incapacitation of the commanding officer it didn't seem likely that a new group of rookies would be joining them soon. With two of the pilots dead from their last survey patrol and the other four pulled to join a classified squadron, Indigo was operating at half its normal capacity.

After exiting the somewhat hidden lift system, and passing the Indigo squadron flight bay, the walk to the mess hall was quick. The mess was a small carved out cavern, bannisters rose up around them to support the weight of the ceiling and rock above it. Tables were set in long rows throughout the room. On the opposite side from the entrance was a long buffet style counter. Different hot plates and water heaters kept different dishes from getting cold. The choices were always limited day by day. Usually at least one was some sort of seafood from the local Fauna. Salya had come to enjoy the taste of Cliff Crab and was excited to see that a pile of them sat in a large saucer.

"That's just what I need right there." She said, grabbing a generous helping of the crabs onto her plate. "Have you tried this Maila? It's like eating Corellian lobster, maybe not as rich, but it's really good. And after what we just did? We ladies deserve a treat." She said with a smile, moving down the row and picking up other bits of food, fruits, and vegetables.

In the month stationed at Palatine Maila had gotten used to the food provided by the cooks on base. Well whatever she tried first at least. Her less than fortunate background didn't allow for such a diverse range of flavors. Neither, she found did the New Republic military. Eating was just a menial chore that her body required, oil in the tank. After being disappointed by so many tastes she just fell into the habit of eating the first thing provided and returned to that whenever possible.

Still she resolved to try this new dish, for politeness sake if nothing else. Maila grabbed a few of the hand sized Cliff Crabs, the normally pale outer shell cooked to a steaming pink color. She had never had Corellian lobster before, but Salya made it sound worth the risk.

They both sat down at a table near the middle of the carved out mess hall. The many other tables filled with base occupants trying to get a final meal after long hours on duty. There were no windows inside the base but it was getting deep into the night, and the exhaustion showed on many in the mess hall.

"So what did you think of th-" Maila stopped halfway through her question. She had never been privy to secret information before and she didn't want to let anything slip carelessly.

She rearranged her words so as not to leak any important details but continued her question. The nagging curiosity pressing her forward as they ate. "What we we're shown before we all left, what did you think about that?" She said awkwardly, "It seemed weird to you too right?" Maila was hoping that Salya could have understood her fumbling question.

The true reason for the Unknown Region expedition and why Palatine base was created seemed like an odd allocation of resources. Especially with the amount of manpower they were moving away from defense against the previously overthrown government. The Imperial officers at the comm station didn't seem convinced of the sudden regime change. Maila was worried that they had more than rumors to fall back on.

Salya shoveled Crab meat onto a piece of flat bread and took a huge bite out of it. Thinking for a moment. She closed her eyes and savored the sweet meat before swallowing.

"You mean LT? I was surprised for sure, Lugo and I had heard stories growing up, but they were always these larger than life characters with magic powers. Seeing it first hand was surprising, but at the same time I would rather have it with us than against us." Salya narrowed her eyes and looked at Maila, lowering her voice. "What exactly happened down there. You said he slaughtered them but, how? Is it different from two sides shooting at each other?"

Maila frowned slightly at the inquiry. She had wanted to talk about the classified mission, just not that particular part. It was still painfully fresh in her mind. She didn't blame Salya, in fact she would have pressed even harder for details if it was Salya who had gone instead. If she was curious...

"That thing he had was a laser sword." She said, and grabbed a sharp eating utensil. She held it up, miming the burst of plasma that had erupted from the hilt.

With her free hand Maila grabbed one of her cooked Cliff Crabs and placed it in the center of the plate. From above the blade swung down and pierced the thin shell of the crab at the center. It slammed into the table, and the dish clattered loudly from the impact. A few of the tables stopped eating abruptly and looked around in a hush for the source of the noise.

Maila placed another hand on the grip and pushed the blade down and across the shell. Bits of carapace cracked and popped until the blade carved through the small head. It bisected half of the crab from the center point where it had been pierced. She picked up the cooked carcass as steam poured out of the juicy meat encased inside. With both hands she slowly separated the remaining halves gruesomely. Her eyes locked on to Salya as the shell and joints snapped apart, juices exploded from the inside as the crab hung above her plate.

She unceremoniously released the food and it tumbled back down to the table. A steaming heap of gory representation. Maila plucked a chunk of the meat from inside the newly opened crab and tossed it into her mouth.

"So I guess you could say it was a bit different..."

Bland again, but a bit better than some of the other food here. It was strangely salty and the texture was pleasant.

Salya watched the little display with an open mouth. "By the stars...was it really that bad? That sounds horrific." She turned to the other tables and smiled, waving her hand so they would leave them to their conversation. "The Lieutenant didn't strike me as the kind to be needlessly violent but for a weapon like that, I guess you have to be accustomed to some gore." She dipped a portion of her crab meat in some liquid butter, popping another piece into her mouth. "I mean did he say anything?"

The room was a buzz with voices, Salya wasn't terribly worried that somebody may over hear their conversation. Flights tended to eat with each other, so nobody was going to come and bother them. She saw a pair of pilots enter and take their seats, Indigo three and four, as she recalled. They looked over towards where the girls were sitting and waved, a gesture which Salya returned halfheartedly.

"Don't look now but Gordon and Tev just grabbed some seats."

Gordon and Tevrikanash, a pair of the more womanizing pilots at the base. Gordon was human, although his more pointed features set him as from the outer rims. Tevrikanash was a Cathar. His golden fur had a certain luster which said he took care of himself, but the glint in his yellow eyes told Salya he had something else on his mind. They had been known to hit on anything that could mate. That had always put Salya off, she wasn't terribly fond of men in general, but especially the kind who thought they owned anything they looked at.

Maila turned to watch the two pilots as they grabbed their meal and sat down at a far table. She absentmindedly brought a crushed crab knuckle up to her mouth and sucked the meat and salty juices. They were charismatic and charming, even if they were a bit pushy with their affections. Salya was sour about the two but Maila didn't think of them so harshly.

Gordon quickly drank one of his rationed alcoholic beverages, relishing the burning liquid with fervor. The two womanizing pilots told excited stories of previous missions to a group of enamored female officers. Maila hoped to hear just a bit of the tall tale, but the noise of the mess hall interrupted their voices too much for her to make out any details. She pictured herself at the table in place of one of the officers closest to Gordon. At that distance, a touch of the arm could happen accidentally. She could brush against his body and fill her senses with his distinct scent of leather, oil and sweat.

"Maila?" Salya called out to the daydreaming pilot. She rolled her eyes and tried again more firmly. "Maila!"

The young pilot jolted slightly and turned around to face her companion, slightly red faced.

"What?" Maila asked as she pulled out the crab knuckle that dangled from her mouth.

Salya raised her eyebrows and repeated. "Did he say anything to you?"

"Oh! No, no, I can hardly remember leaving we were in such a rush." Maila explained. She threw some more food in her mouth and was about to continue before she was interrupted.

"Maila! Salya!" A short and stocky Sullustan boomed from behind Maila. He slapped her hard on the back with his thick calloused hand. She recoiled forward from the sudden slap and the food that she was eating lurched into her throat.

Subb Ghegu chortled loudly, his large ears and dewflaps shook with joy. The leader of Indigo squadron, a diminutive Sullastan, was always in a joyful mood and did his best to keep his pilots as cheerful as he was.

Maila scrabbled at her neck, red faced and choking on the food lodged in the back of her throat. She looked at Salya incredulously, her eyes teary and panicked.

"It's good to see you back here!" Subb Ghegu exclaimed. Oblivious to Maila's distress as she choked and gasped for air. "Listen, I need some pilots to run the night patrols tonight. Tev and Gordon just got done and we're missing too many people to maintain our usual coverage."

"Gotta keep those Caravors in check am I right?" He continued.

Subb slammed his palm once more onto Maila's back with a loud wham!. The food dislodged from her throat and flew onto the plate below. She coughed a few times and glared back at the friendly squad leader as he spoke, still unaware of the distress he had caused. "So, can I count on you girls?"

Salya shrugged, picking up a piece of crab meat on her fork. "We got transferred Subbs, you know that. We just got off a patrol ourselves not long ago, so we would have to confirm that our fighters are green and that our CO is ok with it. Do y'all not have a new seven and nine coming in?"

The Sullistan shook his head. "Nobody yet, I expect with everything going on we aren't going to see any new pilots here soon. We haven't had any crazy activities since yesterday though when we lost five and six so if you're just wanting to fly, it would help me out to give my flight some R and R."

Salya popped the crab meat into her mouth, chewing on it briefly. "I can ask, for sure. We're waiting on some maintenance on our ships. What do you think Maila?" She looked over at her still gasping partner.

Maila breathed deep for a long second and recovered from her fit of choking. She stood up from the table quickly and pulled the top part of her flight suit back over her shoulders. "Flying's what I do. Just get me in whatever spare fighter you've got." Maila said confidently. Before she turned to walk out of the hangar she stopped. "You coming?" She asked Salya.

Salya laughed, picking up her tray. "Screw it, why not. Don't suppose we're going to have much else going on right now." She followed Maila and grabbed a last leg off her plate before tossing the rest of the food into the wall compactor.

The pair continued down the hall with Subb close in tow. The lights of the hall buzzed slightly overhead as they passed through the base into the primary hangar. Subb pointed at a pair of fighters, both hooked up to wires and tubes. "Those are the ones right there! Not sure what your new callsigns are but if you two are ok with using Indigo seven and nine again they are open.

"Yea those are fine," Salya said, slapping Maila on the back "last one in is a pile of poodoo!" She laughed, running off to one of the X-wings pointed out to her.

Maila smirked slightly, chasing after her and jumping up into the entry ramp for the fighter. Subb motioned to the techs and the X-wings were disconnected, a pair of helmets were provided as the X-wings cycled and a pair of R4 droids were pulled into the fighters' droid slots. Moments later the pair were out of the hangar bay and soaring over the dark blue waves of the night sea, the reflected light of the two moons overhead dancing across the crashing water beneath them.

 **Medical bay-Spire**

Lindmon sat on the floor, cross legged. The fog roiled around him. The temple was dark, grey stone walls arching overhead and out of sight, impossibly far. The room pulsated, the runes on the walls fading in and out, first red, then blue, then back to red. He opened his eyes, looking around himself. The familiar environment sent chills down his spine as he recalled the events that took place. The final room of the temple. Where Black Skull had released his anger onto him.

 _Look at what I've become!_

The voice echoed off the walls around him.

 _Vitals nominal, external wounds repaired._

The second voice was quiet, imperceptible, and robotic.

Across the room, opposite him and sitting in the same position was a black mass. The shape's face was only barely visible, and changed with the lighting of the room. In the blue, the face was sad, human looking, pale skin stretched thin across the bones beneath. As the lights changed to red the visage shifted, coils of metal and wire clung to the flesh, a dark socket where the eye once was.

"What is this..." Lindmon said quietly, his voice echoing off the walls.

The voice of the figure changed as drastically as his appearance, with each flash his sad, melancholic tone changed to a grating, tense growl.

"Your mind, turmoil, filled with the fog of your own uncertainty. You do not know the power of the dark side. You fear it. Yet the light side evades you. Like it once did me."

"I don't understand. Why are you here? Why am I here?" Lindmon said, he stayed seated, although it seemed like if he wanted to stand he wouldn't be able to. Was the black skull holding him down again? Was he going to need to defend himself? He reached to his hip but found only open air where his saber was supposed to be.

"You won't be needing that. It wouldn't make a difference anyways. Your mind created this space, a familiar place for this. Our first real meeting. I was once like you. Young, headstrong, confident. I let my emotions get the best of me and it pulled me from those I loved and cared for. Forced me to do terrible things for what I called the greater good. Fear became my tool, anger my weapon. Power, unfathomable power." As he continued the red light began to over power the room. The red gleam in the figure's eye dug into Lindmon. "The dark side is only limited by yourself. You felt it. The moment of fear as your comrade was to be blown to pieces. The drive to protect. That power is the Force, in its most true sense. The Jedi would disregard such things. Emotions were to be controlled. Feelings buried. Connections denied. But for what. For the illusion of control? For those we care about to die while we are helpless to save them?!" The figure was seething, the red flash lasted longer with each outburst. "The council forced it upon themselves! Pretenders sitting on their thrones! Lying to those who followed them!" The room grew dark. The lights had completely ceased. A moment later the light blue glow returned, and sitting in front of him was no longer the black cloaked figure but a man, brown haired, thin, and dressed in a plain brown robe. He spoke calmly now.

"But that power came with a price. One I was willing to pay. The people I cared for fell by my own hand. The ones I loved turned from me for my actions. I was consumed by that anger. That hatred. I was unable to control my actions. The pull of the dark side was so strong that it enveloped me, blinded me. It wasn't until my son came that I was able to clear the fog."

Lindmon held his breath. The flurry of emotions pouring from the figure was overwhelming his mind. He found his thoughts jumbled. Images of things that had not happened to him. A desert planet, a woman in his arms, blood and corpses of robed figures staining the sands. Finally he spoke.

"Ahsoka says that one must control their emotions to be one with the Force. But why control it when it can be so helpful?"

A flicker of dispare crossed the figures face. Brief recognition.

"She is correct, to a degree. The Jedi teach control, they preach self restraint. The power at our fingertips can be destructive if used the wrong way. And they are right. You saw it yourself. Those men, dead by your hand. Slain for your goals. But was it right? You ask yourself this even now. Should you have had the power to do such a thing. The Force is alive, it moves through all things and you have the ability to control it's path through you. It is not a tool. It is a comrade. And the way you instruct it is the way it will shape itself. Be aware. Learn from your actions. Ahsoka will lead you down the right path, but hers is only a piece of the puzzle." The figure stood. Turning away from Lindmon and walking towards an alcove in the back of the room. "Be aware of your decisions. We will meet again." He said with a finality, fading into the shadows as the room filled with fog and went dark.

 _Patient is coming to. Please alert the medical officer._

The quiet voice entered his head as everything turned black around him.


	15. Next steps

_Patient is coming to. Please alert the medical officer._ The quiet voice entered his head as everything turned black around him.

"...squadron has been without assigned replacements for several days now. The Lieutenant Commander needs to sign off on the new base patrol schedule as soon as possible." Cv-4 rattled off from the hallway outside. He had been following the medical officer almost non stop for the past few days. He urged for access to the Lieutenant's room so that Cv-4 could discuss changes in base operations.

"I understand Seevee-four. I understood yesterday, and I understood the day before." The exasperated medical officer explained to the pushy droid. "He just woke up now so let me do my job."

The medical officer walked back into the chamber and placed a hand on the protocol droid as it attempted to follow him inside. "Medical personnel only."

"Inform the Lieutenant Commander that the Admiral has requested his presence aboard the Blue Diver." The droid continued from the hallway. It chattered ceaselessly until the door slid shut in front of him.

The medical officer quietly read the new data set produced by the medical droid. He rubbed the short black stubble across his face. Lindmon recognized the man as one Colrees Branken. A decent med tech with no distinguishing accomplishments or skills, he was all the New Republic could spare. He performed his job with the most minimal effort required to get the task complete. Not one to put in extra work or go above and beyond, frequent tardiness was a recurring flaw of his. A few times Lindmon had to reprimand Colrees for leaving the medical bay during duty hours to wander the base.

"Lieutenant, welcome back. How are you feeling?" He asked casually.

Lindmon sat up slowly, his eyes passing over the bright lights of the medical bay. "What happened?" He said quietly, rubbing his head. He threw his legs over the side of the medical bed and stretched his shoulders. "Sorry, dumb question. I'm fine." He stood slowly, his knees shaking under his weight. "How long was I out?"

"Three days?" Colrees said, "Well two for sure and this is the third, so..."

He flicked the power switch on the back of the medical droid and it slumped over with a dull groan. Colrees stood across from Lindmon and raised a questioning eyebrow. "You need me for anything else Sir? Or can I..." His voice trailed off as he jabbed a thumb towards the door.

Lindmon waved his hand, exasperated. "Yea, no, go wander. Send in Seevee, I'm sure he's been dying for me to sign things."

The medical officer waved and left the room, CV-4 clunking in just after.

"Sir, there are a number of issues that require your attention."

"Thank you, Seevee, although why you couldn't run these through Denabens, or even Tordent, is beyond me. I have second-in-commands for a reason." Lindmon walked over to a nearby counter where his uniform and other clothes were set before getting dressed and walking over to the little tablet CV-4 was waving around.

"Yes, Sir but only you have the official authorization to reassign callsigns and transfer pilots."

"And Admiral Sevessa was unable to do any of this because..." Lindmon's voice trailed off as he read through the various requests and orders.

"Because I did not ask him. Apologies sir, I appear to have been remiss in my duties. As an aside, Admiral Sevessa requests your immediate presence aboard the Blue Diver for formal debriefing. The reports provided by Spades Jack through Joker are available on your tablet."

"Jack through...Maila didn't submit her report then." Lindmon flipped through the reports quickly. He knew what they would say so scanning was the most he needed to do. Seger's Report was incredibly thorough, although there was no mention of Lindmon's use of the force. He breathed a sigh of relief. If the admiral found out he would flip right on him and start throwing impossible missions down his throat, he just knew it. At least now he wouldn't have to worry about that just yet.

"Inform the Admiral I will be making my way to the nearest shuttle in the hour." He said to the droid who was no plodding along behind him as he walked down the hall back towards his quarters.

"Of course, sir. Shall I adjust the arrival request for the resupply shuttles to avoid the winter migration of Caravors?" The droid asked as it followed Lindmon, servos and motors whirred noisily throughout the hallway. A quick affirmation was all the droid needed and it logged the command in its database.

CV-4 continued to shadow Lindmon and updated him on all manner of information pertaining to the upkeep of Palatine base. Temperature changes and weather patterns were an important asset on the planet and disregarding the effects it had on the wildlife could cause operational disaster. Indigo squadron's T-65 X-Wings were showing increased signs of rusting that demanded more manpower to remedy. The heavily salted rains during night patrols were corroding the metals faster than expected. CV-4 tried to emphasize that replacement parts will become a necessity soon.

Less than an hour later Lindmon was landing inside the massive hanger of the Blue Diver. The flight had taken him past the small fleet that had organized for the original mission. The Nebulon-B class light frigate, Honor Bound, had arrived as supplementary support. The three-hundred-meter escort cruiser, small in comparison to the others, was equipped with several bacta bays and carried a complement of A-wing interceptors. A thin spar connected the front, knife shaped command section, to the rear shield generator and engine block. Its poorly reinforced midsection relegated it as purely a support craft, unable to operate without significant defenses. The frigate's interceptors drifted along its port and starboard sides in tight V-shaped formations.

Floating alongside the Blue Diver as its crews helped repair several of the charred craters that were inflicted during the operation days ago was the Nomad, a Dreadnaught-class assault frigate. At seven hundred meters it was just nearly half the length of the massive Blue Diver. Heavily automated control systems allowed its crews to operate the dozens of turbolaser batteries with half the needed crew. The ship was a powerful craft that could rival a Victory-class Star Destroyer in single combat if it had a sharp commander at the helm. It was heavily armored and had distinct rear dorsal fins and a long-sloped command structure.

Lindmon stepped off the shuttle into the hangar bay. The Blue Diver carried compliments of X-Wing and Y-Wing squadrons and many technicians were working alongside their droids to fix what they could. Most were in workable condition, although Lindmon noticed that several were badly damaged. Hot laser fire scars stretched along the fuselages of many of the snubfighters. Rolling across the bay was a metal crane, hoisting a new wing section in place for an unfortunate X-Wing. Commands droned constantly across the overhead speakers, giving orders to the flight deck operators and directing workflow.

"Hey Lieutenant!" A familiar voice cried out. As Lindmon turned around the raucously colored Mandalorian armor was immediately recognizable. Repainted recently to cover the ion scarring, though many pits and deep scratches could still be seen upon close inspection. Silver, purple and several shades of red and blue marked most of the armor. A small jetpack was affixed to the back, white wings artistically painted across the purple colored metal. It was not large enough to hold a concussion missile or other armament, vying for dexterity instead of destructive force. The previously charred and melted under-suit had been discarded and replaced.

Lindmon's comrade stood at the foot of a large modified VCX-100 light freighter, fully armed with her pistols and lightsaber, she held her helmet off to the side. Her hair was colored white and sky blue from the black it had reverted to on Haven Sentry. It had gotten longer still, since they first started months ago. Sabine was standing next to a green Twi'lek dressed in simple flight fatigues, a maintenance kit strapped to her belt. Lindmon recognized her as one of the Generals from the Coruscant meeting, Syndulla.

"Sabine! Is it good to see you. And it's Lieutenant Commander now." Lindmon cried out with an added wink, clasping her hand and smacking her on the shoulder. He turned to the general and saluted. "General, a pleasure." The General waved her hand dismissively, never one for the formalities the military suggested. "What brings you here? Figured you would be tied down on Lothal for a while." Lindmon continued, checking his wrist display for the time. "I have a meeting soon with the Admiral, I have good news for you though. We got it." He said with a grin.

Sabine smiled brightly at the news, Lindmon could feel trust and relief flowing from inside her. Combat was their true language, one of the ways people their culture could express and unlock their emotions. Fighting together, working towards a common goal against the odds, those were the ways to improve oneself in the eyes of a Mandalorian.

General Syndulla however was the one to respond to Lindmon first. "We figured something like that happened. Most of the group was already enroute a week ago, you know how long it takes to cut through the region. When we arrived, the Blue Diver was just coming back from its fight and we were told to standby."

"Admiral Sev'esa has the other commanders meeting in a few minutes," She continued, "about where to go from here. Sabine, could you watch Jacen while we're gone?"

Sabine nodded and looked to Lindmon, "We'll catch up later, I'll tell you what happened then, alright?" she looked a bit disappointed at his departure.

General Syndulla and Lindmon walked briskly through the pristine white corridors of the Blue Diver. Each Mon Calamari ship was unique, like a massive work of art. General Syndulla, less familiar with the unique corridors of this vessel, allowed herself to be led to the briefing room. "I wasn't able to express my gratitude to you before, on Coruscant." She said seriously, "The New Republic is still struggling to make itself recognized across the galaxy. As a General I don't always get to decide where I go or what I do. For what you have done, for what you are doing for me and my family. Thank you..."

Lindmon gave a solemn nod. "I understand now the severity of the mission, even if the Admiral doesn't. Finding Ezra is just as important for the Republic as it is for Sabine and you." Lindmon walked quickly through the halls, CV-4 plodding behind them as quick as his servos would carry him. "I worry though. The information we got is only useful for the search efforts. The Empire was able to wipe a good portion of the more recent data."

"Finding Ezra is important for all of us, everyone who knew him, the people he's helped in the past." Hera affirmed, "It's unfortunate that the recent data was wiped, having that information could have really helped us. You might have to find a way to make this outdated information sound relevant. Make them see that this old data could somehow help with the current issues they are facing." She said finally. General Syndulla wanted to help more with the mission Lindmon was leading. A lot of members of the New Republic did, Sabine was one of the few who was in a position to actually do some legwork. The General resigned herself to assisting the search in whatever capacity she could when able. This mission gave her hope that she could use her skills and the unique abilities the Ghost had to help for once but that was beginning to look like a fleeting dream.

"We're getting somewhere, at this point I'm in too deep to let anything stop me. For Sabine's sake, Ahsoka, and the Republic at large, we have to at least try." The pair reached the large white doors leading into the main conference room, Lindmon pulled the data pad in CV's hand away and took a deep breath. "May the force be with us." He sighed as the doors slid open with a hiss.

The command briefing room was wider and more open than the private classified briefing room that Lindmon had started his journey from. Several rows of long seats descended down toward a large holo projector that sat centered in the room. Like the rest of the Blue Diver the room was illuminated in pristine white, horizontal ocean blue striping accented the walls and interior.

Standing at the bottom of the steps facing the holo projector was the commander of Honor Bound. Alexsandr Kallus, a former Imperial Security Bureau agent, who still stood with the rigidity and poise of the many years spent in their service. Before the destruction of Alderaan, he used his position in the Empire to aid the fledgling Rebellion as a spy. He had sandy blonde hair with a thick, full beard and wore a tan dress shirt bearing the emblem of the New Republic, the red crest of the alliance set in a circle of stars. Over his shirt was a thick grey and brown jacket, and his dark pants were tucked into a pair of heavy boots.

Admiral Cest Sev'esa stood at the head of the room and greeted Lindmon and General Syndulla as they entered. They all stood together for a tense several moments, waiting for the next few members to arrive. General Syndulla shared pleasantries with the Admiral to pass the time and maybe break some of the tension. Sev'esa's normally sour mood was slowly worked over by the Twi'lek's charming manner, his greying chestnut fur smoothed down as his mood calmed.

The last to arrive was the commander of the Nomad, Dalhar Corrcov and his General Gaim Vug. Dalhar had deep dark skin and the right side of his face was marred with shrapnel scars. His right eye was milky white with blindness, left uncovered, a show of pride for his battle scars. A strong and broad shouldered man who had worked himself from the lowest ranks of the Rebellion to his honored position as commander of a Dreadnought assault frigate.

Leader of the Nomad's troop battalions and squadrons, Gaim Vug looked nearly as menacing. The Duros had light blue green skin, and narrow hateful, red eyes. A shrewd tactician capable of commanding his men headlong into danger for the mission without a second thought. The both of them wore heavy cloaks over their New Republic uniforms. An air of intensity and vigor was carried with them, inspiring those under their command to follow them with vicious fanaticism.

Lindmon joined the group at the holotable, the air in the room was heavy, tense, and foreboding. Had the mission gone so badly? What did he not know while he was out cold? The anxiety was starting to get to him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and waited for the meeting to start. As he stood there he worked through the data on the pad in his hand.

"The discovery of Lieutenant Crest's recon team was an unfortunate outcome. Our previous plan to delay the Star Destroyer Havoc incurred only minimal damage to the Blue Diver. While it's not what we intended, we may have got away with enough to move forward." Admiral Sev'esa began, carefully surveying each leader assigned to the small fleet. He smoothed the long whiskers on his face and turned his attention to Lindmon. "I'd like to move forward and get those data files decrypted as soon as possible. Having a record of Imperial movements and their battle strategies will be an invaluable asset."

Dalhar Corrcov made a grunt of affirmation. The commander had seen the harsh trials of war, where strength was paramount. Even so, the veteran recognized the importance that good information could bring to a battle group.

"Now that one of their stations have been attacked, the Imperials won't allow a second attempt." Alexsandr Kallus stated firmly, using his extensive knowledge of Imperial mindset and strategies to surmise their response. "The remaining stations will be made impenetrable, or be abandoned. It may be in our best interest to count what small victory has come from this."

"We are fortunate that the data we recovered meets the needs of my crew's primary mission. On top of flight data for the ISD Chimera we have retrieved flight and pathing information from 0 ABY back to 4 BBY. While the information is on the older side it can help us coordinate possible refueling stations and bases in the Unknown regions, along with possible hyperlane travel paths. While it is unfortunate that we were unable to secure more recent data, the fact that our injury count was low and damage reports seem minimal is a good thing." Lindmon said, scanning through the information displayed in front of him.

"As such I would like to re-establish the search for the primary target as soon as the data is decrypted."

"What is this. We come here to raid. Get good information. And you tell us it is all old." Dalhar said, his voice rising as he stepped forward. "We have won those battles already. This is no good!"

Admiral Sev'esa held his hand out placatingly at the agitated commander, "It is old yes, but do not disregard the usefulness of logistical data." His voice was sharp and firm. Sev'esa knew he made it clear that the search for this lost Jedi was supposed to be the secondary objective, even if not officially. General Syndulla was, to his understanding, close to whoever this boy was. He restrained himself from making a comment on the matter, she was well liked in the New Republic and could influence high ranking members against him if he were to speak out now.

"So then what? We sit here. Wait for them to strike at us?" Dalhar exclaimed, exasperated, "Old hyperspace routes do not tell us where the enemy is!"

"With respect Sir, old data can give us an understanding of pre-fall outposts in the unknown regions, outposts that may well still be intact and operational. Beside that, the information on effective hyperspace lanes in a region we barely know is its own reward. With that we can effectively scout the region with a smaller likelihood of disaster. My crew and I are well aware of the difficulties of flying blind out there." Lindmon stated, he had known there would be blowback but there was no skirting around the age of this information. "Our primary reason for assaulting these bases being the routing information of the Chimera, any excess information is simply additional plunder. The fact that they rushed so quickly to depriving any new information is telling as well, we can assume that the Empire has a stronger presence here than we thought."

"Which is why we need relevant information!" Dalhar shouted. He paced across the room in short intervals. "The Imperial forces are close to breaking through our blockades around the Ansion system! We don't have the luxury of time to sift through and figure out what is and isn't relevant!" The large man pointed emphatically at the holoprojector as if the enemy was locked away inside.

"Dalhar. We can learn a lot, even with this." General Syndulla explained softly, "Lieutenant Commander Crest is right. Knowing what the Imperials have been up to in the Unknown Region, even for a short time, might give us an edge. Thrawn hasn't come back since he disappeared into the region, and I have a good feeling he's not dead." She looked around the room at each of her associates, giving ominous weight to her words.

"I agree. It wouldn't have taken very long for him to return to the conflict, especially after the Rebellion had destroyed the Death Star." Alexsandr responded, "Are you suggesting that the Grand Admiral was ordered instead to stay? To spread their influence and control the systems hidden inside the Unknown Region?"

"Exactly." General Syndulla said firmly, "They are up to something, and we have to find out what it is. Before it's too late."

"Our job is to stop them, at any cost. For now we will keep the fleet here to defend Palatine base." Admiral Sev'esa said, "Retaliation will come as soon as they discover our location. Won't be long until they find us." Abandoning Palatine base was something Sev'esa wanted to avoid. The benefits of having a forward base inside Imperial territory far outweighed leaving it behind. Now that the whole battlegroup was here, he wouldn't have to run if a Star Destroyer showed. "General Syndulla will take the data to New Republic Intelligence. From there we can determine our next targets." Admiral Sev'esa turned his attention to Lindmon, "Lieutenant Commander, ensure your squadron is ready for combat. I'll have the Republic sortie new fighters for the ones lost."

"Right away Sir." Lindmon said, turning from the table and exiting the conference room with CV-4 in tow. He weaved through the long halls back towards the main hangars before speaking over his shoulder to the droid. "Seevee, send a message down to the Spire, have them make sure the Spades are in full fighting force, fighters repaired and refueled. Also, get Sabine Wren credentials for Spire access and have her meet me there at her earliest convenience."

"Aye Sir, I have a request from Palatine Main, dispatch request for Caravors survey." The droid said as it clunked along.

"Denied. Have them prep all fighters and pilots. We're on alert." Lindmon responded. He stepped into the main hangar of the Blue Diver, operators and technicians were already rushing back and forth preparing the fighters located there. Pilots were sitting near their fighters, putting on their flight suits and respirators.

This is all my fault. Lindmon thought to himself. The base on Palatine was new, and if the Empire struck at it the fight would be difficult. What will it have cost to get this data? He wondered.

The higher ranking officers stayed back in the conference room after Lindmon was dismissed. Dalhar continued to detail the attacks probing the Ansion system and the countermeasures the New Republic had planned. It was not promising, most of the debate was if it should continue to be protected. The influence of the New Republic was growing quickly, but there were only so many resources they could spare.

Lindmon continued on and came to the VCX light freighter from before. Its loading ramp lowered to reveal the main cargo bay. Inside, Sabine stood side by side with a young human boy. He was tall for his age, with a tousle of dark brown hair that curled slightly at his ears. The tips of which were pointed, and much whiter than the rest of his skin. They swung old wooden sticks in unison, going through defensive slashes as Sabine called out the step methodically. The saber drills were serene and elegant, the sticks moved across the air like water as they swung and pivoted as if in a dance. It had been a while since the last time she had seen him, a year, maybe more. Even so, Jacen remembered a promising amount of the saber motions he was taught. After several retreating swings she looked at the boy and stopped.

"Your stance is wide again." Sabine chastised, "Look, if your feet aren't in the right position I can just..." She hooked the boy's leg with her foot and swept it out from under him.

The boy twisted as he fell, hopping as he tried to balance himself so he didn't crash to the ground in embarrassment. It was futile though, with a sharp cry he landed face first onto the metal grate of the cargo bay.

Jacen gasped as he moved to get back up. She was going to hit him again, he knew it. He had dropped the stick when he fell. Sabine had told him to never let go of your weapon, whatever that weapon is. And he had done it again. Jacen covered his head with his arms and rolled to the side, satisfied to hear the stick slap into the metal floor instead of the back of his head. He grinned proudly at Sabine, a few missing front teeth adding a boyish charm to his victory.

"Alright, alright. Very cute." Sabine chided. "Get back up, and we can work through the rest of Form One."

"Huh?" Jacen groaned. This was the first he had heard of this being one of a series of techniques. He thought this was the only one. "How many forms are there?"

Sabine looked at Jacen with confusion, "Four? I think..." She had listened to Ezra when he talked about changing his fighting style. Adapting it as he grew more skilled, but she hadn't really paid enough attention to remember if there were more than just four forms. Lightsaber combat was strange to her, awkward in its movements and she never really found a place for it in normal combat. Sabine only managed to retain the first few saber form drills Kanan and Ezra taught her years ago when she inherited the Darksaber. "There might be more, I'm not sure."

Jacen was shocked at her lack of knowledge, Sabine was supposed to know everything about fighting. The fact that she had an apparent lack of information about the saber techniques made it seem mysterious, like he was being taught some long held secret.

"Come on kid, ready position." They took to their stances again. Just before they began, Sabine took her foot and pushed Jacen's leg, closing the gap in his wide stance. "There, that's ready position. Now, one...two..."

Lindmon waved his hand at the droid, telling it to stay put. He walked over to the ramp and watched as the pair sparred. Sabine's focus was entirely on the boy in front of her. She monitored his motions and spoke up from time to time to chastise him for any shortcomings she had taken note of. Finally as the pair seemed to be finishing, and once more the boy suffered a sharp 'thwack' on the back of his hand, Lindmon spoke up.

"Well no need to beat children now." He said playfully, smiling at his friend through the well trimmed beard crawling down his chin.

"He wouldn't have to get hit if he just remembered to keep his stance tight." Sabine said, discarding the wooden stick inside a small bucket. She turned towards Lindmon and slowly removed her glove. It dropped and Sabine deftly caught it on her boot, keeping the durasteel from clattering to the ground.

She grabbed the black under suit and stretched it over her now bare hand. "You know, when I was six and I failed combat drills, my mother would leave me in the snowy mountains on Krownest." Sabine said menacingly over her shoulder to the boy. "One time I ran into a hungry Narglatch and it ate my hand!" She whipped around and showed her gloveless hand. The black sleeve flopped over in a mock amputation.

The blood quickly drained from the small boy's face, a mix of sudden horror and confusion. "Chopper!" Jacen cried as he ran away, falling for the simple trick. When he turned to escape into the other room, an old C1 droid slammed into the child. It warbled and chuffed it's binary droid language like a grumpy war veteran.

Sabine chuckled mirthfully as her hand popped back out from the black under suit. She kicked up the glove and slid it back onto her hand. In the cargo hold, Jacen clung to Chopper's chassis to keep from being run over. The droid's visual sensor was obstructed by the boy's body, and it wheeled around the ship in confusion, warbling and spinning as it tried to regain control. "Chopper! Wait-wait!" The boy shouted to the distressed droid as it carried him around. "Stooooop!"

"That was quick," Sabine said, now turning her attention to Lindmon and ignored the continued ruckus behind her, "I didn't think you would be back so soon. Oh, but Hera's not with you, I guess they're still having the meeting then?"

"It's likely deliberations my rank doesn't make me privy to, but alas my job isn't done. I have a whole damned base to run. We're going on alert, the mission may have drawn the ire of the Empire a bit sooner than we had wanted." Lindmon said, looking at the ship. "What have you been up to over the past couple of months?"

"Right!" Sabine exclaimed, picking up the conversation she tried to start before the briefing. "That security breach turned out to be a rogue droid! We wasted weeks doing background checks on all of our personnel, I even came close to blasting one guy. He was such an uncooperative gundark."

She leaned against the frame of the cargo bay, becoming more relaxed after the teaching session. "Anyway, apparently some clever slicer put a secondary core module in an R4 Astro. When we would run our diagnostics on the droids it would switch to the false core and get past security." She sighed, recalling the weeks afterwards spent opening hapless droid frames. Each little bot went under her scrutiny until she was satisfied. "We put new restraining bolts and security procedures in place so nothing like that can happen again. After that it took me a while just to get here. You wouldn't believe the hoops I had to jump through to find this place."

When she finished speaking, Sabine's expression turned to one of regret. Her eyes shifted to the floor as she shamefully recalled the scene on Haven Sentry. How she left and abandoned her comrades selfishly. "Hey, I'm sorry that I left so suddenly before. I just, I-I couldn't..." She trails off, unsure how to word the apology.

"No worries. We understood entirely. Although you could have gotten dressed before plowing out of there in your medical gown." Lindmon said with a smirk. "I'm just glad it wasn't anything more severe."

CV-4 raised his arm from where he stood. "Sir, there are several requests that require your attention." It quipped.

"I need to remove that line from his programming." Lindmon sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'm working on getting you credentials to come to the Spire, it's not listed on the base directory but look for the entry hatch near the mess hall, punch in your basic access codes, should get you through. Give it about an hour." He waved his hand, turning back towards the droid and plucking the datapad from it's hand.

"You got it Lieutenant!" Sabine said, flicking her fingers off her head in a casual salute. "Once Hera gets back from the meeting I'll head down to the planet. I've still got that A-Wing from Haven Sentry." A loud bang echoed from the cargo hold as Chopper finally whipped off the young Jacen. He flopped onto the metal grate and groaned.

"Try not to break the kid!" Lindmon shouted over his shoulder as he boarded the nearby shuttle that would take him back planet side. The short conversation had lifted his mood significantly, and after boarding he worked his way through the new requests that had piled up in the short time he was away.

"Oh for fuck's sake. Seevee, you have authorization to grant half of this. What do I keep you around for if you aren't lessening my work load." He said, tossing the datapad over to the droid who struggled to juggle it for a moment.

"My apologies Sir, I seem to have been remiss in my duties." The droid commented.

"I can't tell if you're just being sarcastic Seevee. Simple requests outside safety or mission critical ones, you have the processing power to check logs and see if it's viable. Do that." Lindmon responded with a huff, kicking his feet up into the seat next to him and leaning back. He was determined not to lose the good mood he picked up. He leaned back and closed his eyes for the brief flight to the surface.


	16. Imperial Initiative

Captain Daws walked through the bright corridors of the Imperial Star Destroyer escorted by two menacing soldiers. Their gloss black armor and high powered blaster rifles identified them as ones from the Death Trooper program. He could feel the dread welling up in the pit of his stomach. Failure was never tolerated in the Empire. After the complete destruction of relay station IRT-36X Daws could already picture the firing squad.

The troopers led him to a large room, taking guard positions at the edges of the door. The inside was like a museum. Dozens of artifacts lined the walls, carefully displayed and sometimes preserved inside small climate controlled glass cases. Sections of duracrete nearly five meters high etched with ancient carvings depicting unknown god-like figures stood along one wall, illuminated by a small light from below. Tapestries, woven by alien artisans in brilliant colors and sculptures carved from rare Corsian wood found their final home here. Each piece of art had been studied for its distinctive qualities and a small holo projector showed scrolling data with notes and references to mythical figures throughout the creator's alien history.

Confusion and skepticism filled his mind. Alien species were to be subjugated, not revered. Was this new commander as eccentric as the rumors?

Captain Daws even saw what looked like old Jedi robes placed upon a mannequin. A cylindrical silver hilt sat on a small stand, carefully machined metal allowed the emitter and main body to twist apart into separate sections. Above the hilt was a partially restored art piece, the burns and charring covered the depictions of heroic figures. It was heresy to even speak of Jedi in the days of the Empire, let alone possess their artifacts.

Near the end of the room was a circle of holo displays, one set higher than the other. From what Captain Daws could see they showed more images of artwork. At the center of the displays, sat in a large Admiral's chair, was Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Daws clenched his jaw as his eyes set upon the images in front of Thrawn. Still holo projections depicting Captain Daws' previous engagement floated in front of the Grand Admiral.

He sat back in the chair motionlessly. Blue-black hair glinting in the dim light of the chamber. Cool blue skin and his deep red eyes made him look very alien on his otherwise human form.

"Captain Daws," Thrawn's voice echoed inside the chamber, "what do you make of this image?"

The display flicked to the side and projected a familiar security image. A TIE pilot, at least someone wearing the uniform, and two X-Wing pilots running through the relay station. Floating without assistance next to the leader was a small handle, a white energy beam projected from it and stopped about a meter later. It was the image sent from IRT-36X as they were under attack.

"I-it looks like a Jedi, Sir." Daws replied nervously.

"One would think, but I believe this individual poses a more interesting question." The Grand Admiral mused. "He carries the weapon of a Jedi, and similar adepts, as you can see. Yet here, you can see how it is distanced from him. Instead he chooses to use a blaster rifle as his primary weapon. Why? This person, as gifted as they may be with the Force, is disconnected from their teachings. Without tenants and guidance, simply an untrained soldier."

"I...don't understand," Daws was confused, he thought this would be a sentencing not a school lesson.

"Of course not Captain. During his reign, the Emperor destroyed all evidence of Jedi from the galaxy. I, however, have taken to studying them, using whatever remnants remain." Thrawn continued, changing the topic to Daws's shortcoming, "I am not without mercy Captain. Although you were easily duped into an engagement with Admiral Sev'esa, I believe there is a chance for redemption."

A weight lifted from Captain Daws's shoulders that he didn't realize was there. He set them back and straightened himself as much as he could, ready to prove himself worthy of a second chance. "Of course Sir! I'm prepared for anything!"

Thrawn felt satisfied with Daws's revitalization. He found the ruthless executions the Empire was known for to be a dissatisfactory way to deal with failures. Executions, when used sparingly could be a strong motivator but doing so indiscriminately was a waste of potential.

"Admiral Sev'esa is a modest fleet commander, known more for his logistical capabilities rather than tactical prowess." Thrawn said. He changed the circular display floating around him to show a variety of battlefield patterns and strategies employed by Cest Sev'esa. "Sev'esa enjoys the luxuries of a defensible position, while still employing the aggressive tactics that Bothan's are known for. If he is in command then there is almost certainly an outpost somewhere nearby."

"Consider it destroyed, Grand Admiral." The Captain said enthusiastically, eager to revenge himself by routing the New Republic from his sector.

Thrawn motioned for Daws to wait, the young Captain had gotten too eager in his fantasy. "That will not be good enough Captain. Simply destroying this base will be of little merit to me, and if you attack headlong they are sure to escape." He leaned forward in his chair and steepled his fingers together. The bright red eyes boring menacingly amidst the dim room. "No, these usurpers cannot be allowed to get away with such an offense. I want utter destruction crashing down upon them."

"The fact that they were able to assault your position without encountering our blockades means they have found an alternate hyperspace route unknown to us." Thrawn explained, "Use our spies and whatever probes available to you and find it. From there we will trap them against the might of the Empire."

"What about this non-Jedi?" Daws asked after a moment of thought, "He destroyed our outpost nearly single handed."

"I am aware, Captain. Rest assured, that he will be dealt with." Thrawn said slowly, flicking his fingers. "As you can see, we have prepared countermeasures for such an event."

Captain Daws found himself flanked by two figures, clad in stealthy black leather. Belts of equipment strapped close against their bodies. He was shocked, there was no noise, no indication that they had been in the room when he entered. They were both human, as Imperial practices normally demanded. The man was shaven bald and his brow was furrowed in an almost permanent scowl above his onyx black eyes. He had dark tattoos that stretched across the side of his face and disappeared beneath the neck of his clothes. The female had flame red hair and shocking green eyes, her expression sharp and focused. Behind her eyes was a tempered pragmatism. They each had dark black saber hilts attached firmly to their upper thighs.

"The Emperor was kind enough to train many disciples to deal with these kinds of situations in secret." Thrawn said finally.


	17. A trail once cold

"This is Queen of Spades, returning from recon" Salya said into her comms unit as her X-wing returned to the Palatine system, the blue lines of hyperspace fading from view.

"We hear you Queen, clear to land at the Spire." Came the response. She looked out of the cockpit and over to Maila's fighter as it came in close on her right wing. "Welcome home Spades."

The week had gone by slowly ever since the base had gone on alert. Every day was the same. Small groups of fighters sent out to nearby systems to check for any Imperial activity. So far nothing had come up on their scanners and they were beginning to think the Empire was just going to ignore their recent escapades.

"I'm getting so tired of these little missions, I want to shoot something." Maila grumbled into Salya's helmet.

"I'm sure we will get that chance but I can understand why command wants to be careful. We covered our tracks well but the Havoc could come at any second." Salya responded, her fighter blazing orange as she reentered the atmosphere.

The first few days had been tense. The whole base, including the Spire, had undergone a series of drills in case a fleet entered the system. No word had come back yet about the data they recovered, and command was being fairly quiet about the mission since they put in their reports.

Lindmon had spent a fair amount of time with a Mandalorian who showed up recently. They sat in the conference room on the Spire discussing plans and reviewing holotapes and records. Lindmon had put Salya in charge of maintaining the Spade's readiness and schedule while he was focused on the needs of the base and whatever it was he and the girl were discussing.

"I just wish they would come already, I'm sick of all this waiting." Maila grumbled, her fighter evening out over the crashing waves of the planet as the Spire came into view. "I think even Seger is getting itchy. He's been more quiet than usual, which is saying something."

The pair floated their fighters down into the crest of the base and touched down inside, the technicians rushing to connect the wires and pipes to resupply the X-wings. Lugo and Seger sat on a stack of crates near the north wall. Seger had been reviewing technical data from his last recon mission to see how he could improve his systems. He looked up as the pair exited the cockpits on their fighters and pulled off their flight gear.

"Took you long enough!" Lugo shouted over to the pair as he hopped off the crates. "Anything entertaining?"

Salya shook her head. "Just open space"

"Well damn, it's like the Imps don't even care that we ransacked them." Lugo replied, snapping his fingers.

"That's what I'm saying!" Maila shouted, dumping her helmet down on a table near her fighter.

Maila stepped over to her wing mate and pushed a data chip to his chest. Records of their flight path and hyperspace jumps contained within. "See? I didn't forget your precious data." She admonished.

Normally, even the quiet Seger would have given some kind of response. A chide remark about how Maila neglected to keep records of their scout patrols the last three times or how he shouldn't have to ask her to carry out such simple procedures. Instead he simply took the chip and signaled for Lugo to gear up.

The Spade's Gambit was on a rotating scout schedule. Maila and Salya together, Seger and Lugo made up the secondary flight group while Indigo squadron was on constant standby to protect against any base assault.

"What's with him?" Salya asked. "He's hardly said a word all week."

"Nothing, he's just focused is all." Maila shrugged, disregarding the notion that Seger would even have moods.

They had fallen into a comfortable silence, and Maila had become more accustomed to Seger's subtle mannerisms. He was like a droid with a busted modulator, once you knew their directive it wasn't hard to figure out what they wanted. Maila wondered if there was a way to alter his droid brain, maybe make him a bit more interesting...

Salya continued down the hall, eager to get some rest before Lugo and Seger came back. Just before she was able to press the panel into her sanctuary Maila beckoned from the end of the hall. She was mischievous and nosy as ever, her body pressed stealthily against the rock wall as she peaked into the command room. Salya sighed and resigned herself to losing a couple minutes of shut eye.

She came up behind her squad mate and rested her chin on Maila's shoulder. "What is it?" Salya asked lazily. There couldn't possibly be a good reason for all this subterfuge. The Spire was as secure as a fortress, and Maila could have won an award as a comically bad spy.

"...was able to compile a route...chhk...sing the comm traffic loaded in the encryptions." A staticky holo image of a Twi'lek spoke from inside the command room. Long distance communication was a challenge, interference caused by nebulas and other anomalies disrupted nearly any transmission to the core galaxy. The absence of a transmitting station in the sector made it even worse.

The Mandalorian woman that had arrived earlier in the week was there. Adjusting the comms frequency as she spoke intermittently, questioning the route and viable approaches. The holo table had a star chart projected to the side of the Twi'lek, several dots spread across the region. All points connected by sweeping lines, hyperlanes flowing through and around the Unknown Region.

Maila gestured at the saber hilt dangling at her belt. "It's the same weapon that the Lieutenant has...You think she's one of them?" She kept her voice quiet, trying not to be heard, but Salya still heard a sourness in Maila's tone.

Salya shrugged, peeking in with her. "She's a friend of the Lieutenant's. He said he had a teacher so maybe?" She mused.

"The data shows that the Chimera came out here though, could be a good place to start." Lindmon said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If he broke off from them when they got out he may have gone there."

"You think they're discussing that Jedi kid?" Salya whispered.

Maila didn't respond immediately. She was busy pressing her ear into the door to try and catch a word or two of the conversation.

"It's a lot further than I thought it would have gone." Sabine replied, "We would have spent years before we got that far. And he certainly got away, Ezra is as slippery as they come."

The initial destination of the Chimera reached the edge of the galaxy. As close to Wild Space as it could get while still being inside one of the thin arms that spiraled around the core. From that point the hyperspace route wound back near the center of the Unknown Region. Close to the area marked as the Chiss Ascendency. At least a few dozen other locations were marked on the route scattered across the Unknown territories.

"Thanks Hera, this helps a lot."

"...chhk...know. Take care okay? There's been a lot of movement on the other side of the Galaxy." Hera warned.

"Moooooom! D'we have any Melu fruits left?" Jacen interrupted from outside of the holocam's recorder. "Who're you...chhk...king to?"

"Sabine and Lindmon, love. Come on, let's say goodbye," Hera bent down and picked up the young boy. "General Madine needs me to drop a...chhk...team on Jaemus. I hope those routes help. There's only a year's worth, after that the data was deleted."

"The data should be fine General, thank you for the help." Lindmon said as he pressed a button on the console and shut off the display. "One second Sabine." Lindmon looked over to the door. "You two know better than to slink around, come on in if you're that curious." He said with a hint of dissatisfaction.

A shiver ran down Salya's spine, these Jedi powers were something else. She pressed the button on the wall panel and the door slid open, revealing the pair of pilots on the other side. "Ah, apologies...Sir, we were just um..." she trailed off as she looked for the words.

"Coming to inform you about the scouting operations!" Maila interjected. "They're going great! Nothing so far Sir!"

Lindmon sighed, scratching the back of his neck. While he had gotten fairly used to the tingle that accompanied his Force senses, it was still uncomfortable from time to time. "It's fine you two. I was planning to inform you all of events soon anyways."

"Have we got a new assignment? Is it for that Jedi boy?" Maila asked fervently, the last week of empty patrols had gotten her frantic for something new. Without an opponent, there were only so many ways you could fly an X-Wing. If this was an opportunity to just get out of the sector, Maila wanted to take it.

She glanced at the Mandalorian woman, Sabine as the Lieutenant called her. Maila assumed her face would be laden with scars underneath the helmet, with a mouth full of rancor teeth, like all the cantina rumors say about the sect of notorious hunters. But she was surprisingly feminine, her tan skin and colored hair made her look like an exotic warrior. Maila wondered if Sabine really was the one to teach Lindmon his powers, and what her role was in this secret mission.

"Ezra, yes. Unfortunately though it seems like we won't be able to take you all along. Without a way to transport your X-wings anyways." Lindmon reactivated the holotable and the image of the outer reaches of the Unknown Region pulled into view. "The path the Chimera took brings it out to the very edge of the galaxy. The trip could take upwards of a week there and back, far too long for the X-wings to accompany us."

Salya's heart dropped in her chest. They had only been pulled into Spade's Gambit for a little while, was it already falling apart?

Maila clicked her tongue, dissatisfied at being left behind. "Well take me with you anyway. Hey! You can show me how to use Jedi powers," She looked at Sabine expectantly. If she had taught Lindmon to use his abilities there was a chance she could do the same for Maila.

Her thoughts were dashed however. Sabine responded, her eyebrows raised in confusion. "What are you talking about, kid? I can't teach you anything."

"But, you have a laser sword like the Lieutenant. It's certainly not a normal weapon."

"That doesn't make me a Jedi."

"So you killed a Jedi and took it from them?"

Sabine narrowed her eyes, this kid was nosy. "No, I didn't."

"Maila, you're stepping out of line." Lindmon warned "this isn't a mission I can take you all on. You will stay here and continue recon."

Salya looked nervously from Sabine to Maila. The glare from the mandalorian pierced daggers into her flight mate who sighed and dropped her shoulders before rolling her eyes.

"Whatever." Maila responded before turning and stomping out of the room.

Lindmon watched as she exited. "Get some rest Salya, you two are set to go back out soon if I recall."

Salya nodded awkwardly before turning and following Maila back towards their quarters.

Lindmon turned back to Sabine, the air in the room suddenly tense. "Sorry about her. She seems to have picked up a chip on her shoulder ever since finding out about my Force sensitivity."

Sabine huffed. Shifting her weight as the doors slid shut again. "She's lucky you were here. The nerve of that kid." She said sourly before turning on the holo projector again.

Lindmon motioned back at the image. "You can leave your A-wing here" he changed the subject. "We can take the Zephyr out to investigate the lead. Ahsoka hasn't contacted us yet so I doubt we will have her help on this."

"It's been a long time without hearing from her." Sabine said with a hint of worry in her voice. "She said she was just going back to meet with those elders, right?"

"I'm sure she's fine, whatever she is up to may just be taking longer. I can have Reed try and let her know what's going on. In the meantime..." Lindmon paused, thinking "I saw you teaching the kid saber forms. Ahsoka taught me some of form one, but not everything. Any chance you can teach me some more?" Lindmon smiled awkwardly. "It could pass the time while we wait for a response."

Sabine pulled a chip out of the holo terminal, containing a copy of the data that Hera sent. "Let's get going first," Sabine said resolutely, "I can walk you through the movements while we're in hyperspace." Now that she had a clear direction to Ezra's location, Sabine wanted to waste no more time on Palatine.

"Right." Lindmon pressed a button on the holotable and after a brief moment Sulahaan's voice broke into the room.

"Lieutenant?"

"Hey Sul, get the engines on the Zephyr running. Sabine and I are on the way. Get Giz on board as well. Reed is with us and will be meeting you soon."

"Aye Sssir." Sulahaan replied before the transmission cut out.


End file.
